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A comparison of the structure, composition and mechanical properties of anosteocytic vertebrae of medaka ( O. latipes ) and osteocytic vertebrae of zebrafish ( D. rerio )
Author(s) -
Ofer Lior,
Zaslansky Paul,
Shahar Ron
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of fish biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.672
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1095-8649
pISSN - 0022-1112
DOI - 10.1111/jfb.14334
Subject(s) - zebrafish , oryzias , biology , anatomy , skeleton (computer programming) , bone structure , evolutionary biology , fish <actinopterygii> , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , gene , fishery
Abstract Medaka ( O. latipes ) and zebrafish ( D. rerio ) are two teleost fish increasingly used as models to study human skeletal diseases. Although they are similar in size, swimming pattern and many other characteristics, these two species are very distant from an evolutionary point of view (by at least 100 million years). A prominent difference between the skeletons of medaka and zebrafish is the total absence of osteocytes in medaka (anosteocytic), while zebrafish bone contains numerous osteocytes (osteocytic). This fundamental difference suggests the possibility that the bony elements of their skeleton may be different in a variety of other aspects, structural, mechanical or both, particularly in heavily loaded bones like the vertebrae. Here we report on the results of a comparative study that aimed to determine the similarities and differences in medaka and zebrafish vertebrae in terms of their macro‐ to nanostructure, composition and mechanical properties. Our results reveal many similarities between medaka and zebrafish vertebrae, making the lack or presence of osteocytes the only major difference between the bones of these two species.