Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 21, 2026

Drug Treatment and In Vivo Imaging of Osteoblast-Osteoclast Interactions in a Medaka Fish Osteoporosis Model

Drug Treatment and In Vivo Imaging of Osteoblast-Osteoclast Interactions in a Medaka Fish Osteoporosis Model

Published on: January 1, 2017

Transcriptomic profiling and RANKL/RANK/OPG-mediated osteoclastogenesis in zebrafish larvae under simulated

Juan D Carvajal-Agudelo¹, Tamara A Franz-Odendaal¹

¹Department of Biology, Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

|May 20, 2026

Summary

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

20 Years of the ISCB Student Council Symposium: shaping computational biology and future leaders.

Bioinformatics advances·2026

Same author

Understanding the spacing of placodes in the eye: A comparative study across age and species.

Anatomical record (Hoboken, N.J. : 2007)·2026

Same author

Linkages between BMP, canonical WNT/β-catenin, and FGF20 signaling during placode formation in the chicken anterior eye segment.

Developmental biology·2026

Same author

BMP and WNT signaling are involved in tracheal cartilage development in chicken embryos.

Developmental biology·2025

Same author

In Vitro Culturing Technique for Studying Cellular Dynamics in Zebrafish Scales.

Journal of visualized experiments : JoVE·2025

Same author

Hydrocortisone treatment as a tool to study conjunctival placode induction.

Developmental dynamics : an official publication of the American Association of Anatomists·2024

Simulated microgravity (SMG) disrupts bone homeostasis by suppressing osteoblast activity and promoting osteoclast activity via the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway. This study reveals a complex, stage-specific response to SMG, offering insights into mitigating bone loss.

Area of Science:

Skeletal Biology
Space Biology
Molecular Biology

Background:

Bone homeostasis is a dynamic process regulated by the balance between osteoblast-mediated bone formation and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption.
Microgravity is a known factor that perturbs bone homeostasis, leading to bone loss, a significant concern for astronauts and individuals with osteoporosis.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying bone homeostasis disruption under simulated microgravity (SMG).
To elucidate the cellular communication network between bone cells during perturbed bone homeostasis.

Main Methods:

Zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio) were exposed to SMG using a Random Positioning Machine.
Transcriptional responses of bone-related genes, focusing on the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway, were analyzed using RT-qPCR at various time points (6, 12, 18, 24 hours).

Keywords:

bone homeostasis microgravity osteoclast osteoclastogenesis skeleton zebrafish

More Related Videos

Adult Zebrafish Injury Models to Study the Effects of Prednisolone in Regenerating Bone Tissue

Adult Zebrafish Injury Models to Study the Effects of Prednisolone in Regenerating Bone Tissue

Published on: October 18, 2018

Two-Photon Laser-Mediated Ablation of Osteoblasts in Developing Zebrafish Larvae

Two-Photon Laser-Mediated Ablation of Osteoblasts in Developing Zebrafish Larvae

Published on: September 6, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 21, 2026

Drug Treatment and In Vivo Imaging of Osteoblast-Osteoclast Interactions in a Medaka Fish Osteoporosis Model

Drug Treatment and In Vivo Imaging of Osteoblast-Osteoclast Interactions in a Medaka Fish Osteoporosis Model

Published on: January 1, 2017

Adult Zebrafish Injury Models to Study the Effects of Prednisolone in Regenerating Bone Tissue

Adult Zebrafish Injury Models to Study the Effects of Prednisolone in Regenerating Bone Tissue

Published on: October 18, 2018

Two-Photon Laser-Mediated Ablation of Osteoblasts in Developing Zebrafish Larvae

Two-Photon Laser-Mediated Ablation of Osteoblasts in Developing Zebrafish Larvae

Published on: September 6, 2024

Transcriptomic analysis and gene-protein interaction network analyses were performed at 18 and 24 hours post-exposure.

Main Results:

Short SMG exposure (6-12 hours) had minimal effects, while longer exposure (18-24 hours) induced a two-phase response.
SMG suppressed osteoblast markers and activated osteoclast-associated genes and stress-adaptive pathways.
Transcriptomic analysis revealed coordinated modulation of bone formation and resorption, involving WNT, BMP, HIPPO, and MAPK signaling pathways.

Conclusions:

SMG disrupts the balance between osteoblast and osteoclast activity, favoring bone resorption over formation.
A developmental stage-specific protective response was observed, with activated stress-adaptive pathways and downregulated apoptosis.
Findings provide a foundation for developing interventions against bone loss in spaceflight and osteoporosis.