ER procollagen storage defect without coupled unfolded protein response drives precocious arthritis.

Collagenopathies are a group of clinically diverse disorders caused by defects in collagen folding and secretion. For example, mutations in the gene encoding collagen type-II, the primary collagen in cartilage, can lead to diverse chondrodysplasias. One example is the Gly1170Ser substitution in procollagen-II, which causes precocious osteoarthritis. Here, we biochemically and mechanistically characterize an induced pluripotent stem cell-based cartilage model of this disease, including both hetero- and homozygous genotypes. We show that Gly1170Ser procollagen-II is notably slow to fold and secrete. Instead, procollagen-II accumulates intracellularly, consistent with an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) storage disorder. Owing to unique features of the collagen triple helix, this accumulation is not recognized by the unfolded protein response. Gly1170Ser procollagen-II interacts to a greater extent than wild-type with specific proteostasis network components, consistent with its slow folding. These findings provide mechanistic elucidation into the etiology of this disease. Moreover, the cartilage model will enable rapid testing of therapeutic strategies to restore proteostasis in the collagenopathies.

Modeling human skeletal development using human pluripotent stem cells.

Chondrocytes and osteoblasts differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) will provide insights into skeletal development and genetic skeletal disorders and will generate cells for regenerative medicine applications. Here, we describe a method that directs iPSC-derived sclerotome to chondroprogenitors in 3D pellet culture then to articular chondrocytes or, alternatively, along the growth plate cartilage pathway to become hypertrophic chondrocytes that can transition to osteoblasts. Osteogenic organoids deposit and mineralize a collagen I extracellular matrix (ECM), mirroring in vivo endochondral bone formation. We have identified gene expression signatures at key developmental stages including chondrocyte maturation, hypertrophy, and transition to osteoblasts and show that this system can be used to model genetic cartilage and bone disorders.

Generation of a heterozygous COL2A1 (p.G1113C) hypochondrogenesis mutation iPSC line, MCRIi019-A-7, using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.

The human inherited cartilage disease, Hypochondrogenesis, is caused by mutations in the collagen type II gene, COL2A1. To produce an in vitro disease model, we generated a heterozygous patient mutation, COL2A1 p.G1113C, in an established control human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line, MCRIi019-A, using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing. The gene-edited mutant line, MCRIi019-A-7, exhibited normal iPSC characteristics, including normal cell morphology, expression of pluripotency markers, the ability to differentiate into three embryonic germ layers, and normal karyotype. Together with its parental isogenic control, this cell line will be useful for Hypochondrogenesis disease modelling and drug testing.

CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing of a SOX9 reporter human iPSC line to produce two TRPV4 patient heterozygous missense mutant iPSC lines, MCRIi001-A-3 (TRPV4 p.F273L) and MCRIi001-A-4 (TRPV4 p.P799L).

To produce in vitro models of human chondrodysplasias caused by dominant missense mutations in TRPV4, we used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to introduce two heterozygous patient mutations (p.F273L and p.P799L) into an established control human iPSC line. This control line expressed a fluorescent reporter (tdTomato) at the SOX9 locus to allow real-time monitoring of cartilage differentiation by SOX9 expression. Both TRPV4 mutant iPSC lines had normal karyotypes, expressed pluripotency markers, and could differentiate into cells representative of the three embryonic germ layers. These iPSC lines, with the parental isogenic control, will be used to study TRPV4 chondrodysplasia mechanisms and explore therapeutic approaches.

Generation of a heterozygous COL2A1 (p.R989C) spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita mutation iPSC line, MCRIi001-B, using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing.

To produce an in vitro model of the human chondrodysplasia, spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, we used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to generate a heterozygous patient COL2A1 mutation in an established control human iPSC line. The gene-edited heterozygous COL2A1 p.R989C line had a normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers, and could differentiate into cells representative of the three embryonic germ layers. When differentiated into cartilage this cell line and the parental isogenic control may be used to explore disease mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic approaches.

Generation of a SOX9-tdTomato reporter human iPSC line, MCRIi001-A-2, using CRISPR/Cas9 editing.

To develop an iPSC SOX9 reporter line for monitoring differentiation into SOX9 expressing cells such as chondrocytes, cranial neural crest and Sertoli cells, we used gene editing to introduce sequences encoding the tdTomato fluorescent protein into the SOX9 locus. The gene-edited line had a normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers and differentiated into cells representative of the three embryonic germ layers. Endogenous SOX9 expression was undisturbed and the tdTomato fluorescent reporter mirrored SOX9 mRNA expression. This iPSC line will be useful for assessing iPSC differentiation into SOX9-expressing cells and enrichment by cell sorting.