Fig. 3

Mean changes in the expression of adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic marker genes ± standard deviation as measured by semiquantitative RT-PCR in mesenchymal progenitor cells at the end of the respective differentiation period. Mesenchymal progenitor cells derived from bone marrow, hyaline cartilage, LCF and the joint capsule were incubated with adipogenic (21 d), osteogenic (21 d) and chondrogenic (27 d) differentiation medium. The mean changes in the relative expression of the adipogenic (a) marker genes - lipoproteinlipase (LPL) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) - the osteogenic (b) marker genes - collagen type I (Col I), collagen type X (Col X), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) - as well as the chondrogenic (c) marker genes - (AGG), collagen type II (Col II) and sex-determining region Y-box 9 (Sox-9) - are pictured, respectively. Error bars picture the range of changes in the mean expression of specific marker genes in differentiated cell cultures from which the standard deviations were calculated. Elongation factor 1α (EEF 1α) was used as the housekeeping gene and for internal controls. Primer details are illustrated in Table 1. d, days; LCF, ligamentum capitits femoris