THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY VOL. 281, NO. 9, pp. 5445–5452, March 3, 2006
© 2006 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc. Printed in the U.S.A.

CREB-AP1 Protein Complexes Regulate Transcription of the
Collagen XXIV Gene (Col24a1) in Osteoblasts*
Received for publication, September 8, 2005, and in revised form, December 13, 2005 Published, JBC Papers in Press, December 22, 2005, DOI 10.1074/jbc.M509923200

Noritaka Matsuo‡§, Shizuko Tanaka‡, Marion K. Gordon¶, Manuel Koch储, Hidekatsu Yoshioka§,and Francesco Ramirez‡**1
From the ‡Laboratory of Genetics and Organogenesis, Research Division of the Hospital for Special Surgery, and Department of
Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, New York, New York 10021, the §Department of Anatomy,
Biology, and Medicine, Oita University, 1-1 Hasama-machi, Oita 879-5593, Japan, the ¶Enviromental and Occupational Health
Sciences Institute and the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University,
Piscataway, New Jersey 00854, the 储Institute for Biochemistry II, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany, and**CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, 80131 Naples, Italy
Collagen XXIV is a newly discovered and poorly characterized
member of the fibril-forming family of collagen molecules, whichdisplays unique structural features of invertebrate fibrillar collagens and is expressed predominantly in bone tissue. Here we report
the characterization of the proximal promoter of the mouse gene(Col24a1) and its regulation in osteoblastic cells. Using well characterized murine models of osteoblast differentiation, we found that
the Col24a1 gene is activated sometime before onset of the latedifferentiation marker osteocalcin. Additional analyses revealed
that Col24a1 produces equal amounts of two alternatively spliced
products with different 5ⴕ-untranslated sequences that originate
from distinct transcriptional start sites. Cell transfection experiments in combination with DNA binding assays demonstrated that
Col24a1 promoter activity in ROS17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells isunder the control of an upstream cis-acting element, which isshared by both transcripts and is recognized by specific combinations of c-Jun, CREB1, ATF1, and ATF2 dimers. Consistent withthese results, overexpression of c-Jun, ATF1, ATF2, or CREB1 intransiently transfected osteoblastic cells stimulated transcription
from reporter gene constructs driven by the Col24a1 promoter todifferent degrees. Moreover, chromatin immunoprecipitation
experiments showed that these nuclear factors bind the same
upstream sequence of the endogenous Col24a1 gene. Collectively
these data provide new information about transcriptional control ofcollagen fibrillogenesis, in addition to implicating for the first time
CREB-AP1 protein complexes in the regulation of collagen gene
expression in osteoblasts.

Vertebrate collagens represent a very large superfamily of extracellular proteins that impart specific physical properties to the connective
tissue of virtually every organ system (1–3). There are more than 42
collagen ␣-chains that form 27 distinct trimers or types, which in turngive rise to a large variety of specialized macroaggregates. The mostabundant and ubiquitous collagen macroaggregates are the highly* This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grants AR-38648 andEY-09056, the St. Giles Foundation, and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Grant
SFB 589. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the paymentof page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” inaccordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
The nucleotide sequence(s) reported in this paper has been submitted to the GenBankTM/EBI
Data Bank with accession number(s) DQ157748.
1
To whom correspondence should be addressed: Child Health Institute of New Jersey,
UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 89 French St., New Brunswick, NJ
08901. Tel.: 732-235-9534; Fax: 732-235-9333; E-mail: ramirefr@umdnj.edu.

MARCH 3, 2006 • VOLUME 281 • NUMBER 9ordered banded fibrils made of the so-called fibrillar collagens (types
I-III, V, and XI) (1–3). All members of the fibrillar collagen family share
a common structure that consists of a long triple helical domain, which
is made of uninterrupted Gly-X-Y triplets and flanked at both ends bynoncollagenous propeptides (1–3). These structural features also characterize collagen molecules that form fibrils in the extracellular matrices
of primitive invertebrates, such as sponges, annelids, echinoderms, andmollusks (4, 5). Unlike the vertebrate counterparts, invertebrate fibrillar
collagens display short interruptions in the triple helices and uniquestructural features in the amino- and carboxyl-terminal propeptides (4,5). Vertebrate fibrillar collagens are either widely distributed in soft andhard tissues (types I, III, and V) or are restricted predominantly to cartilage (types II and XI) (1). Genetic evidence from animal and humanstudies has indicated that the quantitatively minor types V and XI collagen regulate the diameter of the major types I and II fibrils, respectively, by participating in fibril assembly (2, 6 –9). These studies havealso demonstrated the importance of heterotypic collagens I/V andII/XI fibrils in skeletal development and integrity.
As a result of the Human Genome effort, several new collagens havebeen recently identified which had escaped prior biochemical detection.
Two among them (types XXIV and XXVII) bear the structural characteristics of fibrillar collagens and specifically, of invertebrate fibrillar
collagens (10 –12). Gene expression analyses in the mouse have revealed
that Col24a1 and Col27a1 display mutually exclusive patterns in thedeveloping and adult skeleton. These studies have in fact shown that
whereas Col24a1 transcripts accumulate at ossification centers of the
craniofacial, axial, and appendicular skeleton, Col27a1 activity is instead
confined to the cartilaginous anlagen of skeletal elements (10 –12).
Additionally, structural considerations have suggested that collagens
XXIV and XXVII are likely to form distinct homotrimers (11). Together
these observations have been interpreted to indicate that these newly
discovered fibrillar collagens may participate in the control of important
physiological processes in bone and cartilage, such as collagen fibrillogenesis and/or matrix calcification and mineralization (10 –12).
Bone formation is a complex and tightly regulated genetic programthat involves two distinct pathways at different anatomical locations(13–15). In intramembranous ossification, mesenchymal cells condense
and differentiate directly into collagen I-producing osteoblasts. In endochondral bone formation, cells at condensation sites differentiate into
chondrocytes that form a cartilage (collagen II-rich) anlagen, which is
replaced by a bony (collagen I-rich) matrix and bone marrow following
chondrocyte hypertrophy, matrix calcification, and vascular invasion.
At the same time, cells around the condensations form the perichondrial layer that gives rise to the osteoblast-forming periosteum and ulti-

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Collagen XXIV Regulation in Osteoblasts
mately to cortical bone. Distinct transcriptional codes control osteoblastogenesis and chondrogenesis and thus, assembly of the collagenI-rich bone matrix and the collagen II-rich cartilage matrix (14, 15). The
canonical Wnt signaling pathway has been shown recently to direct
differentiation of mesenchymal cells toward either the osteoblast or
chondrocyte lineages (16, 17). Previous investigations, on the other
hand, have implicated the transcription factors Runx2 and Osterix inthe progression of osteoblastogenesis during intramembranous andendochondral ossification, as well as the Sox5, 6, and 9 nuclear proteinsin the regulation of chondrogenesis (18 –22). A number of ubiquitoustranscription factors have been also involved in osteoblast differentiation and function, including Msx proteins, Dlx5, Twist, and members of
the AP1 complexes (23–28). Similarly, several studies have identified
DNA cis-acting elements and nuclear trans-acting factors that regulatecartilage-specific expression of the collagen II and XI genes (29 –32). By
contrast, significantly less is known about the regulation of fibrillar collagen genes in osteoblasts.
One of our research interests is the study of the regulation and function of fibrillar collagen genes in normal and diseased conditions. As
part of this ongoing effort, the present study was designed to characterize the proximal promoter of the mouse Col24a1 gene using a combination of cell transfection and DNA binding assays. The results of theseexperiments suggest that Col24a1 is activated during the mid to latephase of osteoblast differentiation mostly through the binding of
CREB2-AP1 complexes to an upstream sequence, which is shared by
two alternative transcription start sites. This study therefore extends
our knowledge of the transcriptional regulation of collagen fibrillogenesis, in addition to implicating for the first time CREB-AP1 protein
complexes in the expression of a fibrillar collagen gene in osteoblasts.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES
Cell Cultures—Rat osteosarcoma ROS17/2.8 and ROS25 cells, mouse
fibroblast NIH-3T3, and mouse primary calvarial osteoblast cells(MCC) were used in this study. ROS17/2.8, ROS25 and NIH-3T3 were
cultured in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium supplemented with
10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum at 37 °C in humidified 5% CO2
and 95% air (33). MCC were prepared from 4-day-old mice and cultured
in Minimum Essential Medium-␣ medium containing 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum at 37 °C in humidified 8% CO2 and 92% air (32).
RNA Analyses—Total RNAs from the mouse eye, brain, and whole
embryo were purchased from BD Biosciences. Total RNA was isolated
from neonatal calvarias and from cultured cells using commercial kits
(Stratagene and Invitrogen) according to the manufacturers’ recommendations. Reverse transcriptions were carried out using Omniscript
reverse transcriptase (Qiagen GmbH, Germany) with oligo(dT) primer,
and the resulting single-stranded cDNA molecules were PCR amplified
using primers for Col24a1 (forward primer, 5⬘-ATGCATTTAGGAGCCTACAG-3⬘; reverse primer, 5⬘-TCACGAGAGGTGACTCAATA3⬘), Col1a2 (forward primer, 5⬘-TGGTCCTCTGGGCATCTCAGGC3⬘; reverse primer, 5⬘-GGTGAACCTGCTGTTGCCCTCA-3⬘), osteocalcin (forward primer, 5⬘-ATGAGGACCCTCTCTCTGCT-3; reverse
primer, 5⬘-GGAGCTGCTGTGACATCCAT-3⬘), and Gapdh (forward
primer, 5⬘-ACCACAGTCCATGCCATCAC-3⬘; reverse primer, 5⬘TCCACCACCCTGTTGCTGTA-3⬘). Amplification conditions included a cycle at 94 °C for 2 min followed by 25 cycles at 94 °C for 30 s,
2

The abbreviations used are: CREB, cyclic AMP-responsive element-binding protein;
AP1, activator protein 1; ATF, activating transcription factor; ChIP, chromatin immunoprecipitation; CRE, cyclic AMP-responsive element; EMSA, electrophoretic mobility
shift assay; GAPDH, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; LUC, luciferase;
MCC, mouse primary calvarial osteoblast cells; RACE, rapid amplification of cDNA
ends; UTR, untranslated region.

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56 °C for 1 min, and 72 °C for 1.5 min, and a final elongation cycle at
72 °C for 5 min. To determine the transcriptional start sites, the oligonucleotide-capping RACE was performed using the GeneRacer kit
according to the manufacturer’s protocol (Invitrogen) and with amplification primers corresponding to the sequences of exon 3 (5⬘-TCACGAGAGGTGACTCAAT-3⬘) and exon 1 (5⬘-TAGGCTCCTAAATGCAT-3⬘) of Col24a1. Amplification products were subcloned into thepCR4-TOPO vector (Invitrogen) and sequenced.
Cell Transfection Assays—Col24a1 promoter-luciferase (LUC)
reporter gene constructs were derived from clone pBeroBAC RP23205C6 using PCR amplification. Amplified products were cloned into
the pGEM-T Easy vector (Promega, Madison, WI) and sequenced.
Internal deletions and nucleotide substitutions were generated by sitedirected mutagenesis as described previously (34). Transient transfections were performed using the Lipofectamine Plus reagent system(Invitrogen), and luciferase activity was assayed 48 h later using theDual-luciferaseTM reporter assay system (Promega). The pRL-TK
Renilla reniformis luciferase expression vector was used as an internal
control for transfection efficiency. Results were expressed as themean ⫾ S.E. of five to seven independent experiments and evaluated byStudent’s t test. Expression vectors for ATF1, ATF2, CREB1, and c-Jun
expression vectors were kindly provided by Drs. Gerard Karsenty (Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX) and Lionel Ivashkiv (Hospital forSpecial Surgery, New York, NY).
DNA Binding Assays—Preparation of nuclear extracts and DNA
binding assays were carried out according to the published protocols(34, 35). Wild-type and mutant oligonucleotide probes were generated
by PCR amplification using HindIII site-linked primers. PCR products
were subcloned into pGEM-T Easy vector, cleaved with HindIII, andradiolabeled with [␣-32P]dCTP using the Klenow enzyme (34, 35).
DNA-nuclear protein binding was carried out at 25 °C for 30 min in 25
␮l of reaction buffer containing 3 ␮g of poly(dI-dC). DNA-bound protein complexes were separated in a 4.5% nondenaturing polyacrylamide
gel in 0.25% TBE buffer. For competition and antibody interference
assays, unlabeled probes or antibodies were added to the reaction mixture for 1 h at 4 °C before the addition of labeled probe. The anti-CREB1
antibody was purchased from Upstate Biotechnology (Lake Placid, NY),and the other antibodies were from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa
Cruz, CA). Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assays were performed using a commercial kit (Upstate Biotechnology) (34). Quantitative PCR was carried out for 35 cycles using 5 ␮l of sample DNA solution/50-␮l reaction, and amplification products were separated in 2.5%
agarose gel in 1 ⫻ TAE buffer.

RESULTS
Col24a1 Contains Two Alternative Promoters—Previous work established the entire coding sequence of the human ␣1(XXIV) collagen(COL24A1) gene and of only part of the mouse Col24a1 gene (11). We
used this information to complete the primary structure of the mouse␣1(XXIV) collagen chain by identifying mouse expressed sequence tagsin the GenBankTM and by generating PCR amplification products covering sequence gaps. As a result, we found a 19-amino acid insertion in
the noncollagenous amino-terminal sequence of the mouse comparedwith the human chain (see GenBankTM accession numbers AY244357
and DQ157748). These experiments were also instrumental in identifying the foremost exon of Col24a1 as consisting of a 5⬘-untranslated
region (UTR) of undetermined length and a coding segment corresponding to the first 94 amino acid residues of the ␣-chain. The oligonucleotide-capping RACE approach was therefore employed to determine the Col24a1 start site of transcription and implicitly, theVOLUME 281 • NUMBER 9 • MARCH 3, 2006

Collagen XXIV Regulation in Osteoblasts

FIGURE 1. Col24a1 transcription start sites and expression in osteoblastic cells. A, schematic representation of transcripts 1a and 1b (above and below the gene, respectively) with
the indicated positions of the alternative spliced sequences of exons 1a and 1b, the ATG codon, and the common exon 2 sequence. Nucleotides are numbered beginning from the5⬘-end of transcript 1b. The bars underneath the exon/intron scheme indicate the sequences that are conserved between the mouse and human genes. B, reverse transcription-PCR
analysis of the relative expression of the indicated genes in ROS17/2.8 and ROS25 osteoblastic cell lines and in MCCs and NIH-3T3 fibroblasts (3T3).

5⬘-boundary of exon 1. As the source of template for the reaction, we
utilized RNA purified from the eye and bone in which accumulation of
Col24a1 transcripts has been found to be the highest (11). Sequencing ofnearly 40 independent cDNA clones from each set of RNA samples
revealed the presence of two different 5⬘-UTRs that upon subsequent
analysis of genomic clones, were accounted for by a combination ofalternative splicing and transcriptional start sites. To be precise, half ofthe cDNA clones contained a 353-nucleotide long 5⬘-UTR that is continuous with the genomic sequence of the exon originally identified as
the first of exon of the human gene and which was now renamed exon 1a(Fig. 1A) (11). The other half of the cDNA clones instead contained the
87 nucleotides immediately upstream of the ATG codon, in addition toan 80-nucleotide long 5⬘-UTR corresponding to an upstream exon
(named exon 1b) that is separated from exon 1a by a 152-bp intervening
sequence (Fig. 1A). Both transcripts 1a and 1b are spliced correctly into
exon 2, leaving the open reading frame unaffected, and consequently,
they are predicted to translate into identical ␣1(XXIV) chains (Fig. 1A).
In summary, Col24a1 contains two alternative start sites of transcription, thereby identified as ⫺1 (exon 1a) and ⫹232 (exon 1b), two alternatively spliced transcripts with different 5⬘-UTRs, the shortest ofwhich (transcript 1b) splices into nucleotide ⫹509 of exon 1a, and thesame start site of translation, located at nucleotide ⫹586 (Fig. 1A). The
functional significance of Col24a1 alternative promoters and 5⬘-UTR
heterogeneity was not addressed in the present study. Comparison of
the 5⬘-end sequences of the COL24A1 and Col24a1 genes revealed three

MARCH 3, 2006 • VOLUME 281 • NUMBER 9

segments of high homology which span from nucleotides ⫺100 to⫹133, from ⫹198 to ⫹256, and from ⫹470 to ⫹632 (Fig. 1A).
Collagen XXIV has been estimated to represent about 4% of theamount of collagen I in bone, thus slightly less than collagen V, theregulator of collagen I fibrillogenesis (11). The estimate was based ongene expression analyses that in addition documented coexpression ofcollagens I and XXIV genes at ossification centers in the mouse embryo(11). Osteoblasts were therefore chosen as the experimental system inwhich to study the transcriptional regulation of Col24a1. Reverse transcription-PCR amplifications were used to assess the levels of Col24a1
expression in ROS17/2.8 and ROS25 osteosarcoma cell lines, which
represent late and early stages of osteoblast differentiation, respectively(33). As positive and negative controls, PCR amplifications were also
performed with RNAs purified from MCC and NIH-3T3 fibroblasts.
Osteoblast-specific genes included Col1a2 (early osteoblast differentiation marker) and osteocalcin (late osteoblast differentiation marker),whereas the ubiquitous GAPDH gene served as the normalizing control.
The results of these experiments suggested that the onset of Col24a1
expression occurs sometime after Col2a1 and prior to osteocalcin geneactivation (Fig. 1B). Implicitly, they also identified ROS17/2.8 cells as themost suitable model in which to study the anatomy of the minimal
Col24a1 promoter.
A Short Upstream Sequence Promotes Col24a1 Transcription in
Osteoblasts—Cell transfection experiments were initially employed todelineate the shortest promoter sequence of Col24a1 capable of direct-

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Collagen XXIV Regulation in Osteoblasts

FIGURE 2. Determination of the minimal promoter
sequence of Col24a1. A, luciferase reporter geneconstructs harboring progressive 5⬘-deletions of the
Col24a1 promoter sequences that share either ⫹509
or the ⫹80 3⬘-ends. The locations of exons 1b and 1aare noted along with the ATG codon common toboth transcripts 1a and 1b. B, relative luciferase activities of the plasmids shown in A assessed in transiently transfected ROS17/2.8 cells. Bars indicate the
S.E. of the means.

ing transcription in ROS17/2.8 cells. To this end, we engineered two
distinct sets of LUC reporter gene constructs representative of the alternative promoters of Col24a1. The first set of Col24a1 promoter-LUC
constructs shared the same 3⬘-end at position ⫹ 509 and included both
start sites of transcription, whereas the 3⬘-ends of the second set of
Col24a1 promoter-LUC constructs was located at ⫹80 and excluded
the start site of transcript 1b (Fig. 2A). Both sets of promoter-LUC
constructs included progressive 5⬘-deletions of the upstream Col24a1
sequence (Fig. 2A). Irrespective of the 3⬘-end of the promoter-LUC
construct, cell transfection assays assigned maximal transcriptional
activity to the region between nucleotides ⫺144 and ⫹80 (Fig. 2B). This
promoter segment contains one of the three homology sequences of the
COL24A1 and Col24a1 genes (Fig. 1A).
Next, an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was employed
to identify potential DNA-nuclear protein interactions within the ⫺144
to ⫹81 segment of the Col24a1 promoter. To this end, four overlapping
probes (p1–p4) spanning from nucleotide ⫺163 to nucleotide ⫹116
were each incubated with ROS17/2.8 nuclear extracts (Fig. 3A). Specificband shifts were only obtained with overlapping probes p2 and p3,5448 JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY

which cover together the sequence between nucleotides ⫺98 and ⫹51(Fig. 3A). To be precise, p2 yielded four retarded bands (b1– b4) ofwhich p3 appeared to migrate as band b2 of probe p3 (Fig. 3A). In
support of this postulate, band b2 disappeared from the p2 EMSA pattern when competed with a molar excess of unlabeled probe p3; conversely, formation of the p3 retarded band was eliminated by competition with a molar excess of the p2 sequence (Fig. 3B). Taken together,
these results mapped the b1, b3, and b4 binding sites between nucleotides ⫺98 and ⫺33 and the binding site of b2 between nucleotides ⫺33
and ⫺15 (Fig. 4).
The functional contribution of the segment encompassing the b1– b4
binding sites was evaluated by cell transfection experiments using the⫺144 ⫹ 509/LUC plasmid bearing internal deletions of the ⫺98 to ⫺33
sequence (p2D; b1,3,4 binding sites), the overlapping ⫺33 to ⫺15
sequence (p2/3D; b2 binding site), or both of them (p2,3D; b1– b4 binding sites) (Fig. 4A). Unlike elimination of the b2 binding site in the p2/3D
construct, deletion of the upstream sequence that gives rise to retarded
bands b1, b3, and b4 led to a drop in luciferase activity of construct p2Dnearly equal to the ⫺144 ⫹ 509/LUC construct with the internal dele-

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Collagen XXIV Regulation in Osteoblasts
gonucleotide that extends from nucleotides ⫺55 to ⫺38 (Fig. 5A).
Inspection of the ⫺55 to ⫺38 sequence identified within it the
TGACGTCA sequence, which represents a perfect match of the cyclic
AMP-responsive element (CRE) protein/ATF binding site (Fig. 5B) (36).
Indeed competition experiments using a molar excess of a mutated CRE
oligonucleotide failed to interfere with formation of the b1, b3, and b4
complexes (Fig. 5B). The significance of the binding assays was corroborated further by cell transfection experiments that showed a loss ofpromoter activity in the ⫺144 ⫹ 509/LUC plasmids bearing the samep2b mutation (Fig. 4).
Members of the CREB-ATF family of nuclear factors bind with highaffinity to CRE, but AP1 dimers can also interact with CREB-ATF sites,
depending on the composition of their flanking sequences (36). Antibodies specific for AP1 and CREB family members were therefore used
in a screen to identify which of the possible protein combinations bindthe p2b element of Col24a1. The results showed supershifts or binding
interferences only with c-Jun, CREB1, ATF1, and ATF2 antisera (Fig. 6).
Importantly, each of the antibodies was noted to affect formation ofdifferent retarded bands, implying that a distinct combination of AP1
and CREB-ATF proteins binds to the p2b element that directs Col24a1
transcription in ROS17 cells (Fig. 6, A and B). This last conclusion was
corroborated by EMSAs in which different combinations of antibodies
suggested that band b1 corresponds to c-Jun/ATF2 heterodimers, bandb3 to CREB1 homodimers, and band b4 to CREB1/ATF1 heterodimers(Fig. 6, C and D).
Expression vectors for c-Jun, ATF1, ATF2, or CREB1 were eachcotransfected into ROS17/2.8 cells together with the wild-type or p2amutant ⫺144 ⫹ 509/LUC plasmid to correlate DNA-protein binding
with promoter function. These functional assays demonstrated thateach of the four recombinantly expressed nuclear factors was capable ofstimulating Col24a1 promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner andonly when the integrity of the p2b sequence was preserved (Fig. 7A).
Independent confirmation of the functional assays was obtained by a
ChIP assay that documented in vivo occupancy by CREB1, ATF1, c-Jun,and ATF2 of the p2b element in the endogenous Col24a1 promoter (Fig.
7B). Consistent with the EMSA data, this in vivo assay also provided
evidence for CREB-AP1 specificity by showing lack of JunD and ATF4
binding to the collagen but not the TIMP1 or osteocalcin promoters(Fig. 7B) (37, 38).

DISCUSSIONFIGURE 3. Identification of nuclear protein binding sites in the Col24a1 proximal
promoter. A, EMSAs showing the retarded complexes that are formed with the probes
shown at the top (p1–p4) in the absence (⫺) and in the presence (⫹) of ROS17/2.8
nuclear extracts (N.E.) and in the absence (⫺) or presence (⫹) of a 100-fold molar excessof the indicated p competitors or an unrelated DNA (ns DNA). The relative positions ofretarded complexes b1– b4 are shown on the left of the p2 and p3 autoradiographs. B,
EMSAs demonstrating that binding of the b2 retarded complex is in the sequence incommon between probes p2 and p3.

tion of all binding sites (p2,3D) or the shorter ⫺52 ⫹ 509/LUC plasmid(Fig. 4B). We therefore focused on the characterization of the factors
binding to the sequence between ⫺98 and ⫺33 because this cis-acting
element appears to drive most of Col24a1 promoter expression in
ROS17/2.8 cells.
Binding of CREB-ATF and AP1 Complexes Is Required for Col24a1
Transcription—A series of shorter oligonucleotides encompassing the⫺98 to ⫺33 sequence was used in the EMSA to compete in vitro binding
to the p2 probe to narrow down the site(s) of nuclear protein interaction
within this cis-acting element. The results clearly demonstrated that all
p2 retarded complexes (b1, b3, and b4) were competed by the p2b oli-

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The present study demonstrated that Col24a1 is a marker of lateosteoblast differentiation which is positively regulated by the binding ofspecific combinations of CREB-AP1 proteins to an upstream cis-acting
element, which is shared by the two alternative promoters of the gene.
These findings advance knowledge of the transcriptional pathways that
regulate formation of fibrillar collagen assemblies in the skeleton. They
will also inform the characterization of genetic programs that may be
negatively affected by the loss of collagen XXIV in the developing andadult mouse bone.
The role of collagen I fibrils in bone physiology is well established as is
the contribution of the minor collagen V to guiding nucleation of collagen I fibrils in the skin and the eyes and by extrapolation, in bone tissue(1–3, 6, 8, 9). The expression pattern of Col24a1 in the developing bone
and the eye is at least consistent with a similar role of this macromolecule in collagen I fibrillogenesis, even though the lack of suitable antibodies has hampered experimental confirmation of this hypothesis. Our
preliminary findings indicate that Col24a1 is inactive in ROS25 cells,
which correspond to early differentiating osteoblasts, but not in ROS17/
2.8 cells, which represent late differentiating osteoblasts, or in calvarial

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Collagen XXIV Regulation in Osteoblasts
FIGURE 4. Functional contribution of the b1,3,4
and b2 binding sites to minimal promoter
activity. Luciferase activity of various mutant promoter sequences was evaluated in transiently
transfected ROS17/2.8 cells in relationship to thatof the wild-type ⫺144 to ⫹509 promoter construct in which the relative positions of the b1,3,4
and b2 binding sites are shown. Mutations include
deletions of the sequence encompassing probes
p2 and p3 (p2,3D plasmid), only probe p2 (p2D
plasmid), only probe p3 (p3D plasmid), or the overlap between probes p2 and p3 (p2/3D plasmid), as
well as single nucleotide substitutions in the
nuclear protein binding sites of probe p2 (plasmid
p2bmt, see also top of Fig. 5B). Bars indicate the S.E.
of the means.

FIGURE 5. Mapping of the nuclear protein binding sites within the probe p2 sequence. A, EMSA
using the p2 probe in the absence (⫺) or in thepresence (⫹) of a 100-fold molar excess of unlabeled oligonucleotides p2a– c that cover the p2
sequence (nucleotide positions shown above theautoradiographs). B, top, the CREB-ATF bindingsite within the p2b sequence is highlighted, andthe nucleotide substitutions (mt) are indicated(p2bmt, see also relevant functional assay of Fig.
4); bottom, EMSAs showing formation of retarded
complexes between the p2b probe and ROS17/2.8
nuclear extracts in the absence (⫺) or in the presence (⫹) of increasing (10 –100-fold) molar excess
of unlabeled wild-type (wt) or mutant (mt) p2b
oligonucleotides.

osteoblasts, albeit at seemingly lower levels than in ROS17/2.8 cells.
Within the limitations of this experimental system, these results nonetheless suggest that collagen XXIV is an integral part of the genetic
program of osteoblast terminal differentiation (39). That collagen XXIV
is expressed at a lower level in nonskeletal tissues, such as the brain andthe eye, also suggests a potentially broader role in organogenesis (11).
Our study adds AP1 and CREB-ATF proteins to the list of transcription factors that are involved in the regulation of fibrillar collagen genes,
particularly in osteoblastic cells. A large body of work has demonstrated
the critical contributions of these two families of basic leucine zipper
proteins to bone formation and remodeling (40 – 42). For example,
genetic alterations in functions of AP1 and related proteins have beenshown to affect negatively osteoblast differentiation and function as well
as bone development (40). Similarly, transgenic interference of CREB
protein activity greatly impairs the normal process of endochondralbone formation (43). Members of the AP1 or CREB-ATF family of
nuclear factors can form homodimeric or heterodimeric protein complexes, which transduce distinct signals and exert discrete transcriptional responses on various promoter targets (36). The heterogeneity in

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dimer composition is the main determinant of the functional diversification of AP1 and CREB-ATF complexes, which include dimers within
and between selected members of each family of transcription factors(36, 40, 41). Obligatory combinations of CREB-ATF proteins recognize
the octameric TGACGTCA element, as do heterodimers between
ATFs and specific Jun and/or Fos proteins (36). In line with this lastconsideration, our antibody interference experiments indicate that
CREB1, CREB1/ATF1 and c-Jun/ATF2 dimers can specifically bind invitro to the evolutionarily retained TGACGTCA sequence (p2b element) of the Col24a1 and COL24A1 promoters. Further confirmationof this in vitro finding was provided by the ChIP assay, which showedthat the endogenous p2b site of the rat gene is occupied in ROS17/2.8
cells by the CREB1, ATF1, ATF2, and c-Jun proteins. Consistent withthis result, we showed that overexpression of each of these four nuclear
proteins in osteoblasts stimulates transcription from the wild-type
Col24a1 promoter, but not from the same promoter harboring four
nucleotide substitutions in the CREB-ATF binding site.
Although our experiments left unresolved whether and how the various CREB-AP1 complexes may compete for 2b binding, they clearly

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Collagen XXIV Regulation in Osteoblasts

FIGURE 6. Composition of the b1,3,4 retarded complexes. EMSAs show the effects of
the indicated antibodies (supershift (arrowhead) or binding interference (asterisk)) on
protein complex formation between probe p2b and ROS17/2.8 nuclear extracts. Specifically, antibodies included those against Jun/Fos family members (A) or CREB-ATF family
members (B), as well as those against individual components or combinations of c-Jun/
ATF2 (C) or of CREB1/ATF1 (D).

indicate that binding of these nuclear proteins stimulates transcription
from the minimal Col24a1 promoter in osteoblasts. This conclusion isbased on the absolute requirement of element 2b integrity for promoter
activity and on the positive effect on promoter activity of each of thefour nuclear proteins overexpressed in ROS17/2.8 cells. The expression
profiles of the proteins that bind element 2b during osteoblast differentiation in vitro are also consistent with the time of Col24a1 onset estimated by the present study. Jun proteins are in fact highly expressed indifferentiating osteoblasts prior to matrix production and mineralization, and phosphorylated CREB reaches its highest level in the earlymineralization stage (44, 45). Irrespective of whether or not these findings are functionally correlated, the characterization of the Col24a1
promoter further support the emerging notion that distinct regulatory
pathways coordinate expression of different fibrillar collagen genes inbone tissue. Transgenic studies have in fact indicated that cooperation
between an Sp1 binding site in the proximal promoter and uncharacterized complex(es) interacting with a far upstream enhancer directsbone-specific expression of the human COL1A2 gene (46). The same

MARCH 3, 2006 • VOLUME 281 • NUMBER 9

FIGURE 7. Specific CREB and AP1 family members bind and stimulate transcriptionof the minimal Col24a1 promoter. A, cotransfection experiments showing that
increasing amounts of the indicated expression vectors stimulate the activity of thewild-type (144 ⫹ 509) but not of the mutant (p2bmt) minimal Col24a1 promoter. B, ChIP
analysis of the relevant Col24a1 proximal promoter sequence using antibodies against
CREB1, ATF1, c-Jun, or ATF2. Controls include input DNA, no antibodies, and preimmune
serum (IgG). At the bottom of the figure are other control ChIP assays that confirm lack of
JunD and ATF4 binding to the collagen but not to the TIMP1 or osteocalcin (OC)promoters.

kind of approach has identified positive osteoblast-specific elements inthe upstream promoter of the mouse and rat Col1a1 genes, as well as a␦EF1/ZEB1 binding site further upstream which represses transcriptionof the mouse promoter in osteoblasts (47– 49). Work in progress is
extending the present work to the characterization of possible interactions of the CREB-AP1 complexes with other nuclear proteins, in addition to evaluating these in vitro findings within the physiological context
of the transgenic mouse model.
Acknowledgments—We thank Bayan Sudan for the excellent technical assistance and Karen Johnson for organizing the manuscript. We are also indebted
to Lionel Ivashkiv and Gerard Karsenty for providing critical reagents.

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