Fig. 4.

Identification of new FN1 downstream genes.

(A) Protein–protein interactions between the genes with correlations r > 0.8 with FN1 in preserved and lesioned OA cartilage samples, as determined with STRING. (B) Boxplots of −ΔCt values of connected genes to FN1, ANKH, NT5E and TNFRSF11B in neo-cartilage pellets of primary chondrocytes transduced with non-targeting shRNA (control) (n = 12) and FN1 targeting shRNA (FN1) (n = 12). Individual samples are represented by coloured dots; colours of dots represent the different donors. P-values were determined by GEEs, with experimental readout as the dependent variable and donor and group as covariates. ***P < 0.005. Colour version is available at Rheumatology online.