FIGURE 1.

Genetic ablation of TG2 attenuates chondrogenic transformation of VSMCs. A, immunostain for smooth muscle actin (green) (nuclei counterstained with DAPI (blue)) in primary cultures of WT and Tgm2^−/− (TGKO) VSMCs prior to micromass culture. Scale bar, 25 μm. B, relative cell numbers in WT and TGKO micromasses cultured in chondrogenic medium (ChoM) compared with cells cultured in normal growth medium (control) (n = 4). C, GAG deposition, detected by Alcian blue stain, in primary WT and TGKO VSMCs induced to undergo spontaneous chondrogenesis by TGFβ3 in high density micromass culture compared with control cells (n = 4).