Nes-Gfp (ref. 20 (link)), FVB-Tg(Col1a1-cre)1Kry/Mmcd (ref. 29 (link)), B6.Cg(SJL)-TgN(Nes-cre)1Kln (ref. 31 (link)), Nes-CreERT2 (ref. 32 (link)), RCE:loxP (ref. 33 (link)), C57BL/6-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm1(HBEGF)Awai/J39 (link), B6.129S4-Gt(ROSA)26Sortm1Sor/J30 (link) transgenic mice (Jackson Laboratories) and C57BL/6-CD45.1 mice (Frederick Cancer Research Center) have been used in these studies. Detailed procedures for cell isolation and culture, in vitro differentiation, LT-CIC and heterotopic bone ossicle assays, histological analyses of ossicles, in vivo treatments and cell depletion experiments, homing assay, RNA isolation, quantitative real-time RT–PCR, gene chip and analyses of microarray experiments, gene ontology and protein–protein interactions are available in the Methods.
Full Methods and any associated references are available in the online version of the paper at www.nature.com/nature.