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An aspartic acid repeat polymorphism in asporin inhibits chondrogenesis and increases susceptibility to osteoarthritis

Nature Genetics volume 37, pages 138–144 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of human arthritis. We investigated the potential role of asporin, an extracellular matrix component expressed abundantly in the articular cartilage of individuals with osteoarthritis, in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis. Here we report a significant association between a polymorphism in the aspartic acid (D) repeat of the gene encoding asporin (ASPN) and osteoarthritis. In two independent populations of individuals with knee osteoarthritis, the D14 allele of ASPN is over-represented relative to the common D13 allele, and its frequency increases with disease severity. The D14 allele is also over-represented in individuals with hip osteoarthritis. Asporin suppresses TGF-β–mediated expression of the genes aggrecan (AGC1) and type II collagen (COL2A1) and reduced proteoglycan accumulation in an in vitro model of chondrogenesis. The effect on TGF-β activity is allele-specific, with the D14 allele resulting in greater inhibition than other alleles. In vitro binding assays showed a direct interaction between asporin and TGF-β. Taken together, these findings provide another functional link between extracellular matrix proteins, TGF-β activity and disease, suggesting new therapeutic strategies for osteoarthritis.

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Figure 1: Genomic structure and LD of the ASPN region.
Figure 2: The frequency of individuals with the D14 variant of ASPN correlates with radiographic severity of knee osteoarthritis.
Figure 3: Effect of stable overexpression of asporin D13 and asporin D14 on the expression of cartilage marker genes during chondrogenic differentiation of ATDC5 cells.
Figure 4: Asporin inhibits TGF-β1–induced and noninduced expression of cartilage matrix genes in ATDC5 cells.
Figure 5: Asporin D14 inhibits TGF-β1–induced expression of cartilage marker genes more strongly than asporin D13.
Figure 6: Enhanced inhibition of TGF-β signaling is unique to the D14 variant.
Figure 7: Asporin binds to TGF-β1 in vitro.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the affected individuals for participating in the study; Y. Ishii, K. Tamai, H. Ishibashi, S. Okinaga, H. Hiraoka, H. Kawaguchi, S. Saitoh, T. Kubo, Y. Takatori, H. Mototani, M. Mori, K. Yoshimura, M. Oka, M. Nakajima and K. Toyoshima for help; and A. Narita for technical assistance. This work was supported by the Japanese Millennium Project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Bone and Joint Diseases, SNP Research Center, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan

    Hideki Kizawa, Ikuyo Kou, Yoshinari Miyamoto, Akihiko Mabuchi & Shiro Ikegawa

  2. Pharmaceutical Research Division, Pharmaceutical Research Laboratories I, Takeda Chemical Industries, Ltd., 2-17-85 Jusohonmachi, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka, 532-8686, Japan

    Hideki Kizawa & Kohei Notoya

  3. Laboratory for Genotyping, SNP Research Center, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), 1-7-22 Suehirocho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan

    Aritoshi Iida & Yusuke Nakamura

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Mie University Faculty of Medicine, 2-174 Edobashi, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Akihiro Sudo & Atsumasa Uchida

  5. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan

    Akira Fukuda & Kozo Nakamura

  6. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kyorin University, School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8611, Japan

    Akihiro Kotani

  7. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Teishin Hospital, 2-14-23 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-8798, Japan

    Akira Kawakami

  8. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital, 35-2 Sakae-cho, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, 173-0015, Japan

    Seizo Yamamoto

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  1. Hideki Kizawa
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Correspondence to Shiro Ikegawa.

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Supplementary information

Supplementary Fig. 1

Expression of the asporin gene (ASPN) in articular cartilage from OA patients and normal (non-OA) subjects. (PDF 51 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 2

Stable overexpression of human asporin inhibits cartilage matrix accumulation in ATDC5 cells. (PDF 47 kb)

Supplementary Fig. 3

Relative inhibition of the chondrocyte differentiation marker genes AGC1 and COL2A1 by asporin D13 and D14. (PDF 39 kb)

Supplementary Table 1

Allelic frequency of the aspartic acid (D)-repeat polymorphism of asporin in Japanese patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis. (PDF 51 kb)

Supplementary Table 2

Association between seven polymorphisms in ASPN and knee osteoarthritis. (XLS 29 kb)

Supplementary Table 3

Clinical parameters. (XLS 29 kb)

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Kizawa, H., Kou, I., Iida, A. et al. An aspartic acid repeat polymorphism in asporin inhibits chondrogenesis and increases susceptibility to osteoarthritis. Nat Genet 37, 138–144 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1496

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