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MACF1 Mediates the Impairment of Mechanical Unloading on Osteoblast Differentiation via F-Actin/ERK/Runx2 Axis

delete2026-08-12
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OA
AI
L
Lifang Hu
K
Kang Ru
W
Wenjin Zhong
L
Linlin Wang
Z
Zizhan Huang
L
Lei Qiao
Z
Zhihao Chen
A
Airong Qian *
DOI:10.3390/cells15161448delete
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Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Decreased osteoblast differentiation contributes to bone loss induced by mechanical unloading. However, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. We previously found that microtubule actin crosslinking factor 1 (MACF1), a key cytoskeletal protein, plays an important role in regulating osteoblast differentiation, while the role of MACF1 in mechanical unloading suppressing osteoblast differentiation remains unclear. Here, an MACF1-knockdown (MACF1-KD) osteoblast cell line and primary osteoblasts were subjected to mechanical unloading conducted by a random positioning machine (RPM). Osteoblast differentiation was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and real-time PCR. F-actin distribution was examined by immunofluorescence staining. Western blot was adopted to detect the protein levels. Moreover, cytochalasin B and PD98059 were applied to disrupt F-actin and inhibit extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activity, respectively, to confirm the mechanism. The results show that MACF1 is significantly downregulated in osteoblasts by mechanical unloading together with decreased osteoblast differentiation. MACF1-KD osteoblasts exhibit reduced differentiation capacity and are insensitive to mechanical unloading. Mechanistically, MACF1 mediates the suppression of mechanical unloading on osteoblast differentiation by regulating F-actin distribution and the downstream ERK/Runx2 signaling. Furthermore, F-actin disruption and ERK inhibition assays confirm that MACF1 mediates the impairment of mechanical unloading on osteoblast differentiation via the F-actin/ERK/Runx2 axis. In conclusion, this study reveals MACF1 as a mechanotransduction mediator for mechanical unloading, inhibiting osteoblast differentiation via F-actin/ERK/Runx2, and contributes to a novel mechanistic insight of cell mechanotransduction.
Keywords:
MACF1
mechanical unloading
osteoblast differentiation
F-actin
ERK
Runx2

Journal

Cells cover
Cells
IF:
5.2
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2.1W
Citations:
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these authors contributed equally to this work.
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