Figure 4. MEK1/2 inhibition or SHP2 depletion alters the expression of transcription factors with known roles in chondrocyte maturation.

Schematic diagrams of genes encoding transcription factors (solid boxes) or their known target genes (empty boxes) that significantly decreased in abundance (blue) or increased in abundance (red) in U0126-treated pellets at w3. All transcription factors also showed similar increases or decreases in Ptpn11 cKO pellets at w3, but not all reached statistical significance. A: Transcription factors with known roles in promoting chondrocyte hypertrophy (upper green arrow), or in promoting the terminal differentiation of chondrocytes and/or their replacement by bone (lower green arrow). B: Transcription factors whose known target genes also significantly changed in abundance in U0126-treated pellets. Arrows indicate transcriptional activation while bar-headed lines indicate transcriptional repression.