Micromasses of mouse and lizard satellite cells were cultured for 7 days in growth (GM) or chondrogenic differentiation media (DM) and gene expression was determined by gene specific qRT-PCR. Mouse satellite cells demonstrated decreased Pax7 expression in micromass culture, while anole cells up-regulated this gene (A). Both species of satellite cells expressed Myod1 and Runx2 (B,C), but only lizard cells significantly up-regulated the chondrogenesis regulator sox9 (D). Lizard satellite cells up-regulated bmp2 expression significantly in GM, and further increased expression significantly in DM (E). Murine satellite cells demonstrated no significant change in the expression of Bmp2 when compared to Day 0. However, DM samples were significantly up-regulated compared to GM (E). Lizard satellite cells significantly up-regulated bmp6 only when cultured in chondrogenic differentiation medium, while mouse cells demonstrated significant up-regulation of Bmp6 expression in growth medium as well (F). Graphs are as labeled. Data are expressed as relative gene expression and are the result of 3 biological replicates, each done in triplicate. Statistical analysis was done by one way ANOVA; * indicates p<0.05 when compared to Day 0 and ** denotes that DM and GM for that species are significantly different from each other (p<0.05).