Figure 6.

Sox6-mediated miR-378 repressed BMSC chondrogenesis

(A) Conservation of the miR-378-3p-binding site on Sox6 3′ UTR (shaded region) among different species. The WT and mut forms of Sox6 3′ UTR luciferase reporter vector are shown. (B) Effects of miR-378-3p on the luciferase activity of pmiRGLO vectors incorporated with Sox6-wt or Sox6-mut sequence were measured (n = 6; ∗∗∗p < 0.001). (C) The mRNA and protein expression level of Sox6 in WT and miR-378 BMSCs were measured (n = 3; ∗p < 0.05). (D–G) The mRNA expression level of Col2a1 (D), Acan (E), Col X (F), and Mmp13 (G) in WT and miR-378 BMSCs upon Sox6 overexpression during chondrogenesis were evaluated by real-time PCR (n = 6; ∗p < 0.05, ∗∗p < 0.01, ∗∗∗p < 0.001). (H–J) Safranin O (H), Alcian blue(I), and IHC staining using COL II antibody (J) of WT and miR-378 BMSCs micromass upon Sox6 overexpression after chondrogenesis induction. Scale bar, 400 μm.