Bcl‑xL mutant promotes cartilage differentiation of BMSCs by upregulating TGF‑β/BMP expression levels

Bcl-xL is a transmembrane molecule in the mitochondria, with apoptosis-related and pro-metabolic functions, that also plays a role in chondrogenesis and differentiation. A Bcl-xL mutant, in which the GRI sequence is replaced by ELN, has no anti-apoptotic effect, while other biological functions of this mutant remain unchanged. The present study investigated the impact of this Bcl-xL mutant on cartilage differentiation and the expression levels of TGF-β and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP). Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were transfected with Bcl-xL and Bcl-xL mutant (∆Bcl-xL) overexpression vectors. The cells were divided into four groups: Control (not subjected to any transfection), EV (empty pcDNA3.1-Bcl-xL vector), OV (Bcl-xL overexpression) and ∆OV (∆Bcl-xL overexpression). Saffron and toluidine blue staining was performed to observe cartilage tissue formation. Flow cytometry was conducted to measure BMSC apoptosis. The expression levels of TGF-β and BMP were evaluated using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) and western blotting. Compared with that in the control group, the expression levels of Bcl-xL in the OV group increased significantly (P