Bone quality and biomechanics articles within Nature Communications

Featured

• Article
  17 August 2021 | Open Access

  ELMO1 signaling is a promoter of osteoclast function and bone loss

  Osteoporosis and bone fractures affect millions of patients worldwide and are often due to increased bone resorption. Here the authors identify the cytoplasmic protein ELMO1 as an important ‘signaling node’ promoting the bone resorption function of osteoclasts.

  • Sanja Arandjelovic
  • , Justin S. A. Perry
  •  & Kodi S. Ravichandran

• Article
  06 August 2021 | Open Access

  Intestinal-derived FGF15 protects against deleterious effects of vertical sleeve gastrectomy in mice

  The mechanisms that mediate the effects of weight loss surgeries such as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG) are incompletely understood. Here the authors show that intestinal FGF15 is necessary to improve glucose tolerance and to prevent the loss of muscle and bone mass after VSG, potentially via protection against bile acid toxicity.

  • Nadejda Bozadjieva-Kramer
  • , Jae Hoon Shin
  •  & Randy J. Seeley

• Article
  15 April 2021 | Open Access

  Selenoprotein W ensures physiological bone remodeling by preventing hyperactivity of osteoclasts

  Selenoproteins containing selenium have a variety of physiological functions including redox homeostasis and thyroid hormone metabolism. Here, the authors show that RANKL-dependent repression of selenoprotein W regulates cell fusion during osteoclast differentiation and bone remodelling in mice.

  • Hyunsoo Kim
  • , Kyunghee Lee
  •  & Daewon Jeong

• Article
  15 January 2020 | Open Access

  Mechanical sensing protein PIEZO1 regulates bone homeostasis via osteoblast-osteoclast crosstalk

  Mechanical forces induce bone remodeling, but how bone cells sense mechanical signaling is unclear. Here, the authors show that loss of the mechanotransduction channel Piezo1 in osteoblastic cells impairs osteoclast activity via YAP signaling and collagen expression, leading to reduced bone mass and spontaneous fractures.

  • Lijun Wang
  • , Xiuling You
  •  & Weiguo Zou

• Article
  14 January 2019 | Open Access

  Prostaglandin E2 mediates sensory nerve regulation of bone homeostasis

  Bone is innervated, and its turnover is affected by sympathetic nerve activity. Here, the authors show that prostaglandin E2, secreted by osteoblasts, activates the EP4 receptor on sensory nerves, inhibiting sympathetic nerve activity and modulating bone formation in mice.

  • Hao Chen
  • , Bo Hu
  •  & Xu Cao

• Article
  16 April 2013 | Open Access

  Molecular mechanics of mineralized collagen fibrils in bone

  Bone is a natural composite of collagen and hydroxyapatite but, surprising, little is known about its characteristics at the molecular scale. Nair et al. conduct molecular-scale simulations of mineralized collagen networks to better understand how bone achieves superior mechanical properties to its constituents.

  • Arun K. Nair
  • , Alfonso Gautieri
  •  & Markus J. Buehler