Perlecan/Hspg2 Deficiency Impairs Bone’s Calcium Signaling and Associated Transcriptome in Response to Mechanical Loading

Perlecan,a heparan sulfate proteoglycan,acts as a mechanical sensor for bone to detect external loading.Deficiency of perlecan increases the risk of osteoporosis in patients with Schwartz-Jampel Syndrome(SJS)and attenuates loading4nduced bone formation in perlecan deficient mice(Hypo).Considering that intracellular calcium[Ca2+]i is an ubiquitous messenger controlling numerous cellular processes including mechanotransduction,we hypothesized that perlecan deficiency impairs bone’s calcium signaling in response to loading.To test this,we performed real-time[Ca2+]i imaging on in situ osteocytes of adult murine tibiae under cyclic loading(8 N,Figure 1).Relative to wild type(WT),Hypo osteocytes showed decreases in the overall[Ca2+]i response rate(-58%),calcium peaks(-33%),cells with multiple peaks(-53%),peak magnitude(-6.8%),and recovery speed to baseline(-23%).RNA sequencing and pathway analysis of tibiae from mice subjected to one or seven days of unilateral loading demonstrated that perlecan deficiency significantly suppressed the calcium signaling,ECM-receptor interaction,and focal adhesion pathways following repetitive loading.Defects in the endoplasmic reticulum(ER)calcium cycling regulators such as Ryr1/ryanodine receptors and Atp2a1/Sercal calcium pumps were identified in Hypo bones.Taken together,impaired calcium signaling may contribute to bone’s reduced anabolic response to loading,underlying the osteoporosis risk for the SJS patients.