Osteoblast differentiation from mesenchymal cells is regulated by multiple signalling pathways.
Here we have analysed the roles of Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) and canonical
Wingless-type MMTV integration site (Wnt/β-Catenin) signalling pathways on zebrafish
osteogenesis. We have used transgenic and chemical interference approaches to manipulate
these pathways and have found that both pathways are required for osteoblast differentiation
in vivo. Our analysis of bone markers suggests that these pathways act at the same
stage of differentiation to initiate expression of the osteoblast master regulatory gene osterix
(osx). We use two independent approaches that suggest that osx is a direct target of these
pathways. Firstly, we manipulate signalling and show that osx gene expression responds
with similar kinetics to that of known transcriptional targets of the FGF and Wnt pathways.
Secondly, we have performed ChIP with transcription factors for both pathways and our
data suggest that a genomic region in the first intron of osx mediates transcriptional activation.
Based upon these data, we propose that FGF and Wnt/β-Catenin pathways act in part
by directing transcription of osx to promote osteoblast differentiation at sites of bone
formation