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The Osteocyte Transcriptome: Discovering Messages Buried Within Bone

  • Osteocytes (J Delgado-Calle and J Klein-Nulend, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Osteoporosis Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of the Review

Osteocytes are cells embedded within the bone matrix, but their function and specific patterns of gene expression remain only partially defined; this is beginning to change with recent studies using transcriptomics. This unbiased approach can generate large amounts of data and is now being used to identify novel genes and signalling pathways within osteocytes both at baseline conditions and in response to stimuli. This review outlines the methods used to isolate cell populations containing osteocytes, and key recent transcriptomic studies that used osteocyte-containing preparations from bone tissue.

Recent Findings

Three common methods are used to prepare samples to examine osteocyte gene expression: digestion followed by sorting, laser capture microscopy, and the isolation of cortical bone shafts. All these methods present challenges in interpreting the data generated. Genes previously not known to be expressed by osteocytes have been identified and variations in osteocyte gene expression have been reported with age, sex, anatomical location, mechanical loading, and defects in bone strength.

Summary

A substantial proportion of newly identified transcripts in osteocytes remain functionally undefined but several have been cross-referenced with functional data. Future work and improved methods (e.g. scRNAseq) likely provide useful resources for the study of osteocytes and important new information on the identity and functions of this unique cell type within the skeleton.

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NKW is supported by an EH Flack Fellowship provided by the Marion and EH Flack Trust and a Rising Star Award provided by St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne. NAS is supported by an NHMRC (Australia) Senior Research Fellowship. RM is supported by NIH funds from NIGMS (P20 GM125503).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bone Cell Biology and Disease Unit, St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research, 9 Princes St, Fitzroy, 3065, Australia

    Natalie KY Wee & Natalie A Sims

  2. Department of Medicine, The University of Melbourne, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Melbourne, 3065, Australia

    Natalie A Sims

  3. Department of Physiology & Cell Biology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Roy Morello

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Roy Morello

  5. Division of Genetics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Roy Morello

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  1. Natalie KY Wee
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Correspondence to Roy Morello.

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Wee, N.K., Sims, N.A. & Morello, R. The Osteocyte Transcriptome: Discovering Messages Buried Within Bone. Curr Osteoporos Rep 19, 604–615 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11914-021-00708-5

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