Cell-to-cell interactions in bone

Bone development (modeling) occurs by migration, aggregation, and condensation of immature osteo/chondroprogenitor cells to form the cartilaginous anlage. This process requires precisely controlled cell–cell interactions. Likewise, bone remodeling in the adult skeleton is a dynamic process that requires coordinated cellular activities among osteoblasts, osteocytes, and osteoclasts to maintain bone homeostasis. The cooperative nature of both bone modeling and remodeling requires tightly regulated mechanisms of intercellular recognition and communication that permit the cells to sort and migrate, synchronize activity, equalize hormonal responses, and diffuse locally generated signals. Osteoblasts and osteocytes achieve these interactions through cadherin-based adherens junctions as well as by formation of communicating junctions, gap junctions. This review examines the current knowledge of how direct cell-to-cell interactions modulate osteoblast function.