PUBLICATION

A novel nonosteocytic regulatory mechanism of bone modeling

Authors
Ofer, L., Dean, M.N., Zaslansky, P., Kult, S., Shwartz, Y., Zaretsky, J., Griess-Fishheimer, S., Monsonego-Ornan, E., Zelzer, E., Shahar, R.
ID
ZDB-PUB-190203-3
Date
2019
Source
PLoS Biology   17: e3000140 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Animals
  • Biomechanical Phenomena
  • Bone Remodeling/genetics
  • Bone and Bones/cytology
  • Bone and Bones/metabolism
  • Chondrocytes/cytology
  • Chondrocytes/metabolism
  • Collagen Type I/genetics
  • Collagen Type I/metabolism
  • Feedback, Physiological*
  • Fish Proteins/genetics*
  • Fish Proteins/metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Glycoproteins/genetics*
  • Glycoproteins/metabolism
  • Humans
  • Mechanotransduction, Cellular/genetics*
  • Oryzias/genetics*
  • Oryzias/metabolism
  • Osteoblasts/cytology
  • Osteoblasts/metabolism
  • Osteocytes
  • Osteogenesis/genetics*
  • Protein Isoforms/genetics
  • Protein Isoforms/metabolism
  • Species Specificity
  • Swimming/physiology
  • Zebrafish/genetics
  • Zebrafish/metabolism
  • Zebrafish Proteins/genetics*
  • Zebrafish Proteins/metabolism
PubMed
30707688 Full text @ PLoS Biol.
Abstract
Osteocytes, cells forming an elaborate network within the bones of most vertebrate taxa, are thought to be the master regulators of bone modeling, a process of coordinated, local bone-tissue deposition and removal that keeps bone strains at safe levels throughout life. Neoteleost fish, however, lack osteocytes and yet are known to be capable of bone modeling, although no osteocyte-independent modeling regulatory mechanism has so far been described. Here, we characterize a novel, to our knowledge, bone-modeling regulatory mechanism in a fish species (medaka), showing that although lacking osteocytes (i.e., internal mechanosensors), when loaded, medaka bones model in mechanically directed ways, successfully reducing high tissue strains. We establish that as in mammals, modeling in medaka is regulated by the SOST gene, demonstrating a mechanistic link between skeletal loading, SOST down-regulation, and intense bone deposition. However, whereas mammalian SOST is expressed almost exclusively by osteocytes, in both medaka and zebrafish (a species with osteocytic bones), SOST is expressed by a variety of nonosteocytic cells, none of which reside within the bone bulk. These findings argue that in fishes (and perhaps other vertebrates), nonosteocytic skeletal cells are both sensors and responders, shouldering duties believed exclusive to osteocytes. This previously unrecognized, SOST-dependent, osteocyte-independent mechanism challenges current paradigms of osteocyte exclusivity in bone-modeling regulation, suggesting the existence of multivariate feedback networks in bone modeling-perhaps also in mammalian bones-and thus arguing for the possibility of untapped potential for cell targets in bone therapeutics.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping