Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Stimulation of Notch Signaling in Mouse Osteoclast Precursors
Published on: February 28, 2017
Zinc signal: a new player in osteobiology
Toshiyuki Fukada1, Shintaro Hojyo, Tatsuya Furuichi
1Laboratory for Cytokine Signaling, RIKEN Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, Yokohama, 230-0045, Japan. fukada@rcai.riken.jp
Abstract:
Disturbed zinc (Zn) homeostasis in mammals is mainly characterized by impaired bone generation accompanied with growth retardation. However, the underlying mechanisms that determine how Zn controls bone homeostasis remain to be defined. Zn homeostasis is tightly controlled by Zn transporter families. Recent studies have shown that Zn transporter-mediated Zn ion (Zn(2+)) behaves as a signaling factor, called Zn signal, that exerts a multiple function in cellular events, showing why Zn has a vital effect on mammalian bone growth and regeneration. This perspective put importance on the principal mechanisms of Zn participation in mammalian bone homeostasis, shifting our focus on the role of Zn from simply a nutrient to a signaling molecule that fine-tunes intracellular signaling events.
Related Concept Videos
Osteoclasts in Bone Remodeling
Hormones and Bone Tissue
Hormones That Influence Osteoblasts and/or Maintain the Matrix
Several hormones are necessary for controlling bone growth and maintaining the bone matrix. The pituitary gland secretes growth hormone (GH), which, as its name implies, controls bone growth. This happens in several ways: first, it triggers chondrocyte...
Bone Remodeling
Bone Remodeling and Repair
Bone Formation by Endochondral Ossification
