Comparative Whole-Genome Analyses Of Articular Chondrocytes And Skin Fibroblasts Reveal Distinct Genome Instability Landscapes In Mesenchymal Cell Types
Our bodies are made of many different cell types, each with unique jobs. Even cells that come from the same basic origin, like mesenchymal cells, can have very different experiences throughout their lives. This leads to distinct ways their DNA can get damaged and change over time, a process known as genome instability.
Recent research has shed light on these differences by comparing two such cell types: articular chondrocytes, found in cartilage, and skin fibroblasts, found in the skin. The findings reveal that skin fibroblasts accumulate more DNA mutations and at a faster rate than chondrocytes. This makes sense when you consider their environments. Skin cells are constantly exposed to external factors like ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, which is a major cause of DNA damage. Indeed, the study found a significant number of UV-induced mutations in skin fibroblasts.
Chondrocytes, on the other hand, are deep within our joints and are not exposed to UV light. Their mutations primarily arise from internal, or “endogenous,” processes within the cell. For example, they show more activity from natural chemical changes in DNA and exposure to certain small molecules produced by the body. The types of DNA changes also differ: chondrocytes tend to have small insertions or deletions in repetitive DNA sequences, while skin fibroblasts show more UV-related deletions.
Understanding these unique “mutation landscapes” in different cell types is crucial. It helps us learn more about how cells age, how diseases like osteoarthritis develop, and potentially how to protect our cells from harmful DNA changes.
Source: link to paper