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A systems biology approach to the identification and analysis of transcriptional regulatory networks in osteocytes

Angela K Dean1, Stephen E Harris, Ivo Kalajzic

  • 1Department of Computer Science, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA. adean@cs.utsa.edu

BMC Bioinformatics
|September 19, 2009
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Osteocytes regulate bone metabolism. This study identified muscle-related gene networks in osteocytes, suggesting a role in bone contractility and potential new therapies for osteoporosis.

Area of Science:

  • Cell Biology
  • Genomics
  • Bone Biology

Background:

  • Osteocytes are key endocrine regulators of bone metabolism.
  • They respond to initiate bone formation and remodeling.
  • Understanding osteocyte regulatory networks may yield new osteoporosis therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify regulatory networks in osteocytes.
  • To explore the role of these networks in bone metabolism and disease.

Main Methods:

  • Microarray analysis to identify over-expressed genes in osteocytes.
  • Determination of evolutionarily conserved transcription factor (TF) binding sites in gene promoter regions.
  • Construction and partitioning of a transcriptional regulatory network to identify cis-regulatory modules.

Main Results:

  • Identified 269 over-expressed genes in osteocytes, many linked to bone and muscle differentiation/contractility.
  • Discovered conserved TF binding sites in promoter regions of these genes.
  • Constructed a transcriptional regulatory network revealing cis-regulatory modules.

Conclusions:

  • Osteocyte-specific genes, including DMP1 and Sost, show conserved muscle-related cis-regulatory modules.
  • This supports a role for muscle-related gene networks in osteocyte biology.
  • These networks may influence osteocyte contractility and dynamic movements.

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