Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 9, 2025
Skeletal Phenotype Analysis of a Conditional Stat3 Deletion Mouse Model
Published on: July 3, 2020
Genetic Pleiotropy of Bone-Related Phenotypes: Insights from Osteoporosis
M A Christou1, E E Ntzani1,2, D Karasik3,4
1Clinical and Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
Purpose Of Review:
We summarize recent evidence on the shared genetics within and outside the musculoskeletal system (mostly related to bone density and osteoporosis).
Recent Findings:
Osteoporosis is determined by an interplay between multiple genetic and environmental factors. Significant progress has been made regarding its genetic background revealing a number of robustly validated loci and respective pathways. However, pleiotropic factors affecting bone and other tissues are not well understood. The analytical methods proposed to test for potential associations between genetic variants and multiple phenotypes can be applied to bone-related data. A number of recent genetic studies have shown evidence of pleiotropy between bone density and other different phenotypes (traits, conditions, or diseases), within and outside the musculoskeletal system. Power benefits of combining correlated phenotypes, as well as unbiased discovery, make these studies promising. Studies in humans are supported by evidence from animal models. Drug development and repurposing should benefit from the pleiotropic approach. We believe that future studies should take into account shared genetics between the bone and related traits.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:33Pleiotropy
01:29Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
01:18Polygenic Traits
01:11Genetic Lingo
02:41Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
01:17Hormones 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...