Antisense retinoic acid receptor gamma-1 oligonucleotide enhances chondrogenesis of mouse limb mesenchymal cells in vitro.

Retinoic acid receptor (RAR) gamma gene is expressed in the precartilaginous cells during chondrogenesis in mouse embryos, but the role of the gene products is still unclear. To examine the role during chondrogenesis, we isolated mesenchymal cells from the limb bud of mouse embryos and exposed them to antisense RAR gamma-1 oligodeoxynucleotide in micromass culture. The antisense oligodeoxynucleotide inhibited RAR gamma-1 protein expression and enhanced chondrogenesis in the exposed cells. These results suggest that the complex of RAR gamma-1 protein and its ligand RA acts as a suppressor of the chondrogenesis in the limb development.