Chondrocytes are the only cells found in cartilage. They produce and maintain the cartilaginous matrix. From least- to terminally-differentiated, the chondrocytic lineage is:
- Colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F)
- Mesenchymal stem cell / marrow stromal cell (MSC)
- Chondrocyte
- Hypertrophic chondrocyte
11-fibrau
- a reliable and sensitive marker of chondrocyte phenotype, and a useful marker to characterize chondrocyte differentiation stage. PMID: 11162592
Aggrecan
- chondrocytic marker. PMID: 11950957
Annexin VI
- a marker of late chondrocyte differentiation. PMID: 11696438
beta1 Integrin (CD29)
- Chondrocytes have been shown to express beta1-containing integrins both in vitro and in situ. PMID: 10772239
- Regulated expression of integrins by chondrocytes, associated with changes in the pericellular matrix composition, is of potential importance in control of cartilage differentiation and function in health and disease. PMID: 7897185
COMP (Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein)
- a sensitive marker for the differentiation state of articular primary chondrocytes. PMID: 11485547
Cathepsin B
- a marker of the dedifferentiated chondrocyte phenotype. PMID: 3415368
CD44, CD151, and CD49c
- were expressed at significantly higher levels in chondrocytes with higher chondrogenic capacity. Flow cytometry analysis of clonal chondrocyte strains indicated that CD44 and CD151 could also identify more chondrogenic clones. PMID: 17265493
CEP-68 (Chondrocyte expressed protein-68)
- a novel human marker gene for cultured chondrocytes. PMID: 11139377
CMP (cartilage matrix protein, Matrilin-1)
- a mature chondrocyte marker. PMID: 10772811
Collagen II
- chondrocytic marker. PMID: 11950957
- The phenotype of chondrocytes consists of cartilage specific proteoglycan and type II collagen. PMID: 16586488
Collagen IX
- a sensitive marker for the differentiation state of articular primary chondrocytes. PMID: 11485547
Collagen X
- a hypertrophic chondrocyte marker. PMID: 10772811
IGF-I and IGF-II
- act as autocrine differentiation factors for this chondrocytic permanent cell line, HCS-2/8, mainly via respective receptors. PMID: 9322955
MIA (Melanoma Inhibitory Activity)
- also referred to as cartilage derived retinoic acid-sensitive protein (CD-RAP), is detected physiologically in cartilage tissue and pathologically in malignant melanomas and can be used as a marker for differentiated chondrocytes. PMID: 12763450
MMP13 (matrix metalloproteinase-13)
- a terminal chondrocyte differentiation marker. PMID: 10771523, PMID: 16144844
Osteonectin (SPARC)
- SPARC was identified in numerous chondrocytes in the superficial and middle zones and in regenerating chondrocytes of RA and OA joints, whereas such staining was absent in these zones of normal cartilage, except for weak signals from a few chondrocytes in the deep zone. PMID: 8630101
PCNA and p21
- could be molecular markers that represent the status of these age-related properties of human articular chondrocytes in vitro. PMID: 15854215
Sox9
- chondrocytic marker. PMID: 11950957
- a transcription factor that is required in successive steps of chondrogenesis. PMID: 15132997, PMID: 9569122
- Sox9 is required during sequential steps of the chondrocyte differentiation pathway. PMID: 12414734
- L-Sox5, Sox6, and Sox9 play essential roles in chondrocyte differentiation and, thereby, in cartilage formation. PMID: 11680692
- a potent activator of the chondrocyte-specific enhancer of the pro alpha1(II) collagen gene. PMID: 9121483
Syndecan-3
- a marker of early chondrocyte differentiation. PMID: 11696438
- one of the major heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) normally expressed during chondrogenesis. PMID: 16226436
- a cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycan important for chondrocyte proliferation and function during limb skeletogenesis. PMID: 15838620
- a direct and selective regulator of the mitotic behavior of chondrocytes and its role may involve formation of dimeric/oligomeric structures on their cell surface. PMID: 12194984
YKL39 and YKL40
- YKL-39 is a recently cloned secretory protein of articular chondrocytes, is arthritogenic in mice. PMID: 12102470
- YKL-39 may be a more accurate marker of chondrocyte activation than YKL-40. YKL-39 and YKL-40 are potentially interesting marker molecules for arthritic joint disease because they are abundantly expressed by both normal and osteoarthritic chondrocytes. PMID: 12972480, PMID: 12435396
Other Chondrocyte Markers
- Polyamine and differentiation: induction of ornithine decarboxylase by parathyroid hormone is a good marker of differentiated chondrocytes. PMID: 6929498