Premature aging of skeletal stem/progenitor cells rather than osteoblasts causes bone loss with decreased mechanosensation

Ruici Yang; Dandan Cao; Jinlong Suo; Lingli Zhang; Chunyang Mo; Miaomiao Wang; Ningning Niu; Rui Yue; Weiguo Zou

doi:10.1038/s41413-023-00269-6

Premature aging of skeletal stem/progenitor cells rather than osteoblasts causes bone loss with decreased mechanosensation

Bone Res. 2023 Jul 5;11(1):35. doi: 10.1038/s41413-023-00269-6.

Authors

Ruici Yang^#^{1

2}, Dandan Cao³, Jinlong Suo⁴, Lingli Zhang¹, Chunyang Mo³, Miaomiao Wang¹, Ningning Niu¹, Rui Yue⁵, Weiguo Zou^{6

7}

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
² Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
³ Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China.
⁴ Institute of Microsurgery on Extremities, and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200233, China.
⁵ Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092, China. ryue@tongji.edu.cn.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China. zouwg94@sibcb.ac.cn.
⁷ Institute of Microsurgery on Extremities, and Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200233, China. zouwg94@sibcb.ac.cn.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

A distinct population of skeletal stem/progenitor cells (SSPCs) has been identified that is indispensable for the maintenance and remodeling of the adult skeleton. However, the cell types that are responsible for age-related bone loss and the characteristic changes in these cells during aging remain to be determined. Here, we established models of premature aging by conditional depletion of Zmpste24 (Z24) in mice and found that Prx1-dependent Z24 deletion, but not Osx-dependent Z24 deletion, caused significant bone loss. However, Acan-associated Z24 depletion caused only trabecular bone loss. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revealed that two populations of SSPCs, one that differentiates into trabecular bone cells and another that differentiates into cortical bone cells, were significantly decreased in Prx1-Cre; Z24^f/f mice. Both premature SSPC populations exhibited apoptotic signaling pathway activation and decreased mechanosensation. Physical exercise reversed the effects of Z24 depletion on cellular apoptosis, extracellular matrix expression and bone mass. This study identified two populations of SSPCs that are responsible for premature aging-related bone loss. The impairment of mechanosensation in Z24-deficient SSPCs provides new insight into how physical exercise can be used to prevent bone aging.

Abstract

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