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Sci. Signal., 2 September 2008
Vol. 1, Issue 35, p. ra1
[DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.1159945]

RESEARCH

The Extracellular Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) Is a Critical Modulator of Skeletal Development

Wenhan Chang*{dagger}, Chialing Tu*, Tsui-Hua Chen, Daniel Bikle, and Dolores Shoback

Endocrine Research Unit, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA.

* These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: The extracellular Ca2+-sensing receptor (CaSR) plays a nonredundant role in the functions of the parathyroid gland (PTG) and the kidney. Severe hyperparathyroidism, premature death, and incomplete gene excision in Casr–/– mice have precluded the assessment of CaSR function in other tissues. We generated mice with tissue-specific deletion of Casr in the PTG, bone, or cartilage. Deletion of Casr in the PTG or bone resulted in profound bone defects, whereas deletion of Casr in chondrocytes (cartilage-producing cells) resulted in death before embryonic day 13 (E13). Mice in which chondrocyte-specific deletion of Casr was induced between E16 and E18 were viable but showed delayed growth plate development. Our data show a critical role for the CaSR in early embryogenesis and skeletal development.

{dagger} To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: wenhan.chang{at}ucsf.edu

Citation: W. Chang, C. Tu, T.-H. Chen, D. Bikle, D. Shoback, The Extracellular Calcium-Sensing Receptor (CaSR) Is a Critical Modulator of Skeletal Development. Sci. Signal. 1, ra1 (2008).

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