Total cellular RNA was extracted from the cultures by using the RNeasy Protect Mini Kit with an on-column RNase-free DNase treatment (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) [16 (
link),37 (
link),46 (
link)]. RNA was eluted in 30 μl RNase-free water. Reverse transcription was carried out with 8 μl of eluate by using the 1
st Strand cDNA Synthesis kit for RT-PCR (AMV) (Roche Applied Science). An aliquot of the cDNA product (2 μl) was amplified with real-time PCR by using the Brilliant SYBR Green QPCR Master Mix (Stratagene, Agilent Technologies, Waldbronn, Germany) [16 (
link)] on an Mx3000P QPCR operator system (Stratagene) as follows: (95°C, 10 minutes), amplification by 40 cycles (denaturation at 95°C, 30 seconds; annealing at 55°C, 1 minute; extension at 72°C, 30 seconds), denaturation (95°C, 1 minute), and final incubation (55°C, 30 seconds). The primers (Invitrogen GmbH) used were SOX9 (chondrogenic marker) (forward 5'-ACACACAGCTCACTCGACCTTG-3'; reverse 5'-GGGAATTCTGGTTGGTCCTCT-3'), type II collagen (COL2A1) (chondrogenic marker) (forward 5'-GGACTTTTCTCCCCTCTCT-3'; reverse 5'-GACCCGAAGGTCTTACAGGA-3'), type I collagen (COL1A1) (osteogenic marker) (forward 5'-ACGTCCTGGTGAAGTTGGTC-3'; reverse 5'-ACCAGGGAAGCCTCTCTCTC-3'), type X collagen (COL10A1) (marker of hypertrophy) (forward 5'-CCCTCTTGTTAGTGCCAACC-3'; reverse 5'-AGATTCCAGTCCTTGGGTCA-3'), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) (osteogenic marker) (forward 5'-TGGAGCTTCAGAAGCTCAACACCA-3'; reverse 5'-ATCTCGTTGTCTGAGTACCAGTCC-3'), matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP13) (marker of terminal differentiation) (forward 5'-AATTTTCACTTTTGGCAATGA-3'; reverse 5'-CAAATAATTTATGAAAAAGGGATGC-3'), osteopontin (OP) (osteogenic marker) (forward 5'-ACGCCGACCAAGGAAAACTC-3'; reverse 5'-GTCCATAAACCACACTATCACCTCG-3'), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) (osteogenic marker) (forward 5'-GCAGTTCCCAAGCATTTCAT-3'; reverse 5'-CACTCTGGCTTTGGGAAGAG-3'), β-catenin (mediator of the Wnt signaling pathway for osteoblast lineage differentiation) (forward 5'-CAAGTGGGTGGTATAGAGG-3'; reverse 5'-GCGGGACAAAGGGCAAGA-3'), parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) (hypertrophy-associated gene) (forward 5'-CGACGACACACGCACTTGAAAC-3'; reverse 5'-CGACGCTCCACTGCTGAACC-3'), lipoprotein lipase (LPL) (adipogenic marker) (forward 5'-GAGATTTCTCTGTATGGCACC-3'; reverse 5'-CTGCAAATGAGACACTTTCTC-3'), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma 2 (PPARG2) (adipogenic marker) (forward 5'-GCTGTTATGGGTGAAACTCTG-3'; reverse 5'-ATAAGGTGGAGATGCAGGCTC-3'), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) (housekeeping gene and internal control) (forward 5'-GAAGGTGAAGGTCGGAGTC-3'; reverse 5'-GAAGATGGTGATGGGATTTC-3') (all 150 n
M final concentration) [13 (
link),15 (
link),16 (
link),46 (
link)-49 (
link)]. Control conditions included reactions using water and non-reverse-transcribed mRNA. Specificity of the products was confirmed by melting curve analysis and agarose gel electrophoresis. The threshold cycle (Ct) value for each gene of interest was measured for each amplified sample by using the MxPro QPCR software (Stratagene), and values were normalized to GAPDH expression by using the 2
-ΔΔCt method, as previously described [16 (
link)].
Venkatesan J.K., Ekici M., Madry H., Schmitt G., Kohn D, & Cucchiarini M. (2012). SOX9 gene transfer via safe, stable, replication-defective recombinant adeno-associated virus vectors as a novel, powerful tool to enhance the chondrogenic potential of human mesenchymal stem cells. Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 3(3), 22.