Identification of a novel osteoblastic gene, inducible by C-type natriuretic peptide, whose transcript might function in mineralization as a noncoding RNA.

We reported previously that C-type natriuretic peptide (CNP) promotes the differentiation and mineralization of osteoblast-like cells. However, little information is available about the mechanism of action of CNP in differentiating osteoblastic cells. In this study, using the technique known as differential display-polymerase chain reaction, we identified a novel cDNA fragment that corresponded to a transcript whose level was increased by CNP in mouse clonal preosteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells. Northern blotting analysis revealed transcripts of 1.3 kb and 2.3 kb in MC3T3-E 1 cells. Both these transcripts were also expressed at high levels in the heart and stomach. We isolated a full-length cDNA (2,135 bp) from a cDNA library derived from MC3T3-E1 cells using the original cDNA fragment. Analysis of the sequence and of products of transcription and translation in vitro indicated that the transcript of the gene did not include any extensive open reading frames. Enhanced expression, after transfection, of transcript in MC3T3-E1 cells stimulated the deposition of calcium of these cells and the formation of mineralized nodules, but did not affect the activity of alkaline phosphatase. Our results suggest that CNP promotes the expression of a novel transcript, which might stimulate the mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells.