Fibronectin 1 activates WNT/β-catenin signaling to induce osteogenic differentiation via integrin β1 interaction

Lab Invest. 2020 Dec;100(12):1494-1502. doi: 10.1038/s41374-020-0451-2. Epub 2020 Jun 19.

Abstract

Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic skeletal disease leading to fragility fractures and is a major health issue globally. WNT/β-catenin signaling regulates bone-remodeling processes and plays vital roles in OP development. However, the underlying regulatory mechanisms behind WNT/β-catenin signaling in OP requires clarification, as further studies are required to identify novel alternate therapeutic agents to improve OP. Here we report that fibronectin 1 (FN-1) promoted differentiation and mineralization of osteoblasts by activating WNT/β-catenin pathway, in cultured pre-osteoblasts. With isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation labeling proteomics analysis, we investigated protein changes in bone samples from OP patients and normal controls. FN-1 accumulated in osteoblasts in bone samples from OP patients and age-related OP mice compared to control group. In addition, we observed that integrin β1 (ITGB1) acts as an indispensable signaling molecule for the interplay between FN-1 and β-catenin, and that FN-1 expression increased, but ITGB1 expression decreased in osteoblasts during OP progression. Therefore, our study reveals a novel explanation for WNT/β-catenin pathway inactivation in OP pathology. Supplying of FN-1 and ITGB1 may provide a potential therapeutic strategy in improving bone formation during OP.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology
  • Cell Line
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Fibronectins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Integrin beta1 / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism
  • Osteogenesis / physiology*
  • Osteoporosis / metabolism
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / physiology*
  • beta Catenin / metabolism*

Substances

  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • FN1 protein, human
  • Fibronectins
  • Integrin beta1
  • beta Catenin