Abcc6 null mice a model mineralization disorder PXE show vertebral osteopenia without enhanced intervertebral disc calcification with aging

Transcriptomic analysis of annulus fibrosus (AF) tissues from intervertebral discs of 7-month-old mice with the global deletion of ABCC6. ABCC6 is an efflux transporter of ATP in hepatic cells and loss of function results in metabolic ectopic mineralization disorder pseudoxanthoma elsaticum. To understand the role of ABCC6 and ectopic mineralization in the disc, we examined the transcriptomic profiles of annulus fibrosus cells in control and ABCC6 knock-out mice using microarrays. Tissue from the annulus fibrosus (AF) was harvested from the intervertebral discs of four ABCC6 control (ABCC6WT) and four ABCC6 knock-out mice (ABCC6KO) at 7 months of age. AF tissue was pooled from lumbar discs in each animal for RNA extraction and hybridization using Affymetrix microarrays.