Not all bones are created equal: using zebrafish and other teleost species in osteogenesis research
Developmental osteogenesis and pathologies of mineralized tissues are areas of intense investigations in the mammalian field, but different from other areas of organ formation and developmental biology, zebrafish have been somewhat slow in joining the area of bone research. In recent years, however,...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Other Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier Academic Press
2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/4090851 http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-4090851 https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-381320-6.00010-2 https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/4090851/file/5778931 |
| Summary: | Developmental osteogenesis and pathologies of mineralized tissues are areas of intense investigations in the mammalian field, but different from other areas of organ formation and developmental biology, zebrafish have been somewhat slow in joining the area of bone research. In recent years, however, genetic screens have provided a number of exciting mutants, and transgenic lines have been developed that permit visualization of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vivo. We here review some of the recent literature and provide examples where insights from studies in zebrafish have complemented the information available from mammalian models or clinical studies. Furthermore, we provide a comparative overview about different forms of bone within the teleost lineage, and between teleosts and mammals. The vertebrate skeleton serves numerous functions, most notably by providing a stable, but mobile framework against which muscles act. The endoskeleton also has protective functions for the brain and many internal organs, and serves as a store for minerals. The postcranial endoskeleton consists of the axial skeleton, supporting the main body axis, and the appendicular skeleton, supporting the extremities of the body. Bone and cartilage are the main components of the endoskeleton, being produced by osteoblasts and chondrocytes, respectively. Given the vital roles of the skeleton, it is not surprising that in the human clinic a number of diseases and pathologies affect the skeletal system. They include metabolic bone diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis as well as birth defects such as cleft palate, congenital vertebral malformations, or skeletal dysplasia (for reviews, see McInnes and O'Dell, 2010; Ralston and Uitterlinden, 2010; Zelzer and Olsen, 2003). Particularly osteoporosis (an increased risk of bone fracture due to a decrease in bone density) and osteoarthritis (a degenerative disease affecting joints) are extremely common, and have an enormous bearing on health care costs in an ever-aging society. In many ... |
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