Zebrafish and medaka as models for bone research including implications regarding space-related issues

Teleost fish develop bones directly from mesenchymal condensations and from cartilage precursors. At the cellular level, the involved cell populations share many features with their mammalian counterparts. In addition, several genes are already described in fish showing high homology in amino acid sequence and expression with the corresponding genes of tetrapods that are involved in bone metabolism. Therefore, analysis of the underlying molecular mechanism in fish, in particular zebrafish and medaka, will increase the knowledge in teleosts. Furthermore, it will help to identify novel genes and regulatory pathways of bone homeostasis and skeletal disorders also in higher vertebrates, including disorders caused by altered gravity.