Abstract
Piezo channels are mechanosensitive ion channels located in the cell membrane and function as key cellular mechanotransducers for converting mechanical stimuli into electrochemical signals. Emerged as key molecular detectors of mechanical forces, Piezo channels’ functions in bone have attracted more and more attention. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of Piezo channels and review the research advances of Piezo channels’ function in bone by highlighting Piezo1′s role in bone cells, including osteocyte, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BM-MSC), osteoblast, osteoclast, and chondrocyte. Moreover, the role of Piezo channels in bone diseases is summarized.
Highlights
Cellular mechanotransduction is crucial for bone development and physiology, and abnormal cellular mechanotransduction leads to various bone diseases, including osteoporosis (OP) and osteoarthritis (OA) [12,13]
By means of generating mice with Piezo1 deletion in chondrocytes, Hendrickx et al found early-onset osteoporosis with multiple fractures in these mice [96]. This result shows that Piezo1 inactivation in growth-plate chondrocytes impairs trabecular bone formation. These findings suggest that Piezo1 play a key role in the mechanotransduction and apoptosis of chondrocytes and in endochondral ossification
Mechanotransduction has a key role in bone development, physiology, and disease conditions
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Activated ion channels represent a key type of mechanotransducer that effectively convert mechanical stimuli into electrochemical signals, which is important for both physiological and pathological process [14,15,16]. The Piezo channels play crucial roles in numerous physiological and pathological process by functioning as cellular mechanotransducers [17,19,21,22,23]. Piezo channels are opened to make cationic ions cross membrane, which promotes cellular mechanotransduction to adapt to the microenvironment [24]. The Piezo channels have shown key roles in mediating the mechanotransduction in bone cells and are involved in bone disease [7,8,22,32,33]. Based on the introduction of the members and structure of Piezo channels, we summarize the current advances of Piezo channels and highlight their role in bone, providing perspectives on Piezo channels for consideration in future studies
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