Gene mRNA levels in the bone of FAM20C KO mice VS WT mice (3-WK-old)

Family with sequence similarity 20-member C (FAM20C) is a new molecule that is highly expressed in the mineralized tissues of mammals. Genetic studies showed that the loss-of-function mutations in FAM20C were associated with human lethal osteosclerotic bone dysplasia (Raine Syndrome), indicating that this molecule may act as an inhibitor in the formation of bone. However, the in vitro gain- and loss-of-function studies suggested that FAM20C promoted the differentiation and mineralization of mouse mesenchymal cells and odontoblasts. To study the roles of FAM20C, we generated Fam20C conditional knockout (cKO) mice in which Fam20C was ubiquitously inactivated. Microarray analyses were performed using total RNA extracted from the calvaria of 3-week-old mice.序列相似性家族20成员C（Family with sequence similarity 20-member C，FAM20C）是一种在哺乳动物矿化组织中高表达的新型分子。遗传学研究显示，FAM20C的功能丧失性突变与人类致死性骨硬化性骨发育不良（雷恩综合征，Raine Syndrome）相关，提示该分子可能在骨形成过程中发挥抑制作用。然而，体外功能获得性与功能丧失性实验结果表明，FAM20C可促进小鼠间充质细胞及成牙本质细胞的分化与矿化。为探究FAM20C的生物学功能，我们构建了Fam20C条件性基因敲除（conditional knockout, cKO）小鼠，该模型中Fam20C呈泛组织性灭活。我们提取了3周龄小鼠颅盖骨的总RNA，并开展了基因芯片分析。