The epitopic properties of mouse SMCs.

<p>The flow cytometric analysis of mouse SMCs (blue bars), muscle–derived cells (red bars), and bone marrow derived cells (green bars). The values are the means and SD of the percent expression for each cell-surface protein. VCAM-1: vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, PDGFRα: platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha.</p

The expansion ability of mouse SMCs.

<p>(A): The survival rate of the cells. (B and C): The growth of the cells. (D): Crystal violet staining. (E): Quantification of the colony-forming ability. * and ** indicate p<0.05, and <0.01, respectively.</p

The chondrogenic potential of mouse SMCs.

<p>(A): Representative macroscopic findings of the pellets on a 1-mm scale. (B): The pellet size. (C): The wet weight of the pellets. (D): The histological features after staining with toluidine blue (upper lane) and immunohistochemistry for type II collagen (lower lane). Scale bar = 100 µm (E): qRT-PCR analyse for Sox9, type II and type X collagen.</p

Microscopic photograph of a mouse knee to harvest the synovium.

<p>The knee joints were exposed by a midline skin incision (A). The quadriceps of the mice was microscopically resected at the middle (B) and reversed distally (C). As the femur, reversed patella and patellar ligament were exposed (D), the synovium on the infra-patellar fat pad could be easily visualized for resection purposes (E).</p

Date on the cell samples.

<p>Data (SD) (unit).</p

Primers for specific polymerase chain reaction.

<p>C/EBPâ: CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta, FABP4: Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4, Lpl: Lipoprotein Lipase, PPARã: Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor gamma, RUNX2:Runt-related transcription factor 2.</p

The osteogenic potential of mouse SMCs.

<p>(A): Calcified colonies stained with alizarin red (upper lane) and total colony number (lower lane). (B): The ratios of alizarin red–positive colonies to the total colonies. (C): qRT-PCR analyses for RUNX2, osteocalcin, osteopontin and type I collagen for osteogenesis.</p

The conditions for the isolation of mouse mesenchymal cells from the mouse knee joint.

*<p><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0045517#pone.0045517-Sakaguchi1" target="_blank">[11]</a>, **<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0045517#pone.0045517-Yoshimura1" target="_blank">[16]</a>, ***<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0045517#pone.0045517-Koga2" target="_blank">[14]</a>.</p

The adipogenic potential of mouse SMCs.

<p>(A): Oil red O (upper lane) and total colony number (lower lane). (B): The ratios of Oil red-O positive colonies to total colonies. (C): qRT-PCR analyses for PPARã, C/EBPâ, FABP4 and Lpl for adipogenesis.</p

Monoclonal antibody list.

<p>APC: allophycocyaninFITC: Fluorescein isothiocyanate, PE: phycoerythrin.</p><p>VCAM-1: vascular cell adhesion molecule 1.</p><p>PDGFRα: platelet derived growth factor receptor alpha.</p