| [ Summary ] |
Many growth factors and transcription factors involved in chondrocyte differentiation at various stages have been identified (Figure 1). However, these are a small part of the whole regulatory mechanism, and we needs further identification of novel growth factors and transcription factors. Table 1 shows major genes expressed during chondrogenesis and their roles: these include cartilage-specific or cartilage-selective genes and broadly expressed genes. An important question is how these genes interact mutually to translate the differentiation program into the action. |