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MicroRNAs and Connexins in Bone: Interaction and Mechanisms of Delivery

  • Molecular Biology of Skeletal Development (T Bellido, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

To describe the current knowledge on the cross-talk between connexins and microRNAs (miRs) in bone cells.

Recent Findings

Connexins play a crucial role on bone development and maintenance, and disruptions in their abundance or localization can affect how bone perceives and responds to mechanical, hormonal, and pharmacological stimuli. Connexin expression can be modified by miRs, which modulate connexin mRNA and protein levels. Recently, different manners by which miRs and connexins can interact in the bone have been identified, including mechanisms that mediate miR exchange between cells in direct contact through gap junctions or between distant cells via extracellular vesicles (EVs).

Summary

We bring to light the relationship between miRs and connexins in bone tissue, with special focus on regulatory effects of miRs and connexins on gene expression, as well as the mechanisms that mediate miR exchange between cells in direct contact through gap junctions or between distant cells via EVs.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01-AR067210 and R01-AR053643 to LIP). HMD is supported by an NIH T32-AR065971 grant. RPC received a scholarship from the Coordination of Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES), Brazil (PDE# 232636/2014-1).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, 635 Barnhill Drive, MS-5035, Indianapolis, IN, 46202-5120, USA

    Lilian I. Plotkin, Rafael Pacheco-Costa & Hannah M. Davis

  2. Roudebush Veterans Administration Medical Center, Indianapolis, IN, USA

    Lilian I. Plotkin

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  1. Lilian I. Plotkin
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  2. Rafael Pacheco-Costa
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  3. Hannah M. Davis
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Correspondence to Lilian I. Plotkin.

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Lilian I. Plotkin, Rafael Pacheco-Costa, and Hannah M. Davis declare that they have no potential conflicts of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

The protocols involving mice were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of the Indiana University School of Medicine. This article does not contain studies with human subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Molecular Biology of Skeletal Development

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Plotkin, L.I., Pacheco-Costa, R. & Davis, H.M. MicroRNAs and Connexins in Bone: Interaction and Mechanisms of Delivery. Curr Mol Bio Rep 3, 63–70 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40610-017-0058-6

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