Journal
BONE RESEARCH
Volume 9, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
SPRINGERNATURE
DOI: 10.1038/s41413-021-00168-8
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Funding
- National Key Research and Development Program of China [2019YFA0906004]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [81991513, 82022047, 81630066, 81870532, 81972100]
- Guangdong Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Council [2017B030301018]
- Science and Technology Innovation Commission of Shenzhen Municipal Government [JCYJ20180302174117738, JCYJ20180302174246105, KQJSCX20180319114434843, JSGG20180503182321166]
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2019M651641]
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Mechanotransduction is a fundamental ability in living organisms that allows them to receive and respond to physical signals. Piezo proteins act as mechanically activated ion channels and play essential roles in mechanosensation and transduction in various organs and tissues. The Piezo family, especially Piezo1 and Piezo2, has been found to have predominant contributions in skeletal development and mechano-stimulated bone homeostasis.
Mechanotransduction is a fundamental ability that allows living organisms to receive and respond to physical signals from both the external and internal environments. The mechanotransduction process requires a range of special proteins termed mechanotransducers to convert mechanical forces into biochemical signals in cells. The Piezo proteins are mechanically activated nonselective cation channels and the largest plasma membrane ion channels reported thus far. The regulation of two family members, Piezo1 and Piezo2, has been reported to have essential functions in mechanosensation and transduction in different organs and tissues. Recently, the predominant contributions of the Piezo family were reported to occur in the skeletal system, especially in bone development and mechano-stimulated bone homeostasis. Here we review current studies focused on the tissue-specific functions of Piezo1 and Piezo2 in various backgrounds with special highlights on their importance in regulating skeletal cell mechanotransduction. In this review, we emphasize the diverse functions of Piezo1 and Piezo2 and related signaling pathways in osteoblast lineage cells and chondrocytes. We also summarize our current understanding of Piezo channel structures and the key findings about PIEZO gene mutations in human diseases.
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