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Osteoclasts in teleost fish: Light-and electron-microscopical observations

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Summary

This paper reports the common occurrence of osteoclasts during normal and experimental bone resorption in a number of teleost fishes. Light-microscopical observations on osteoclasts are presented in resorption areas on perichondral bone (mandibula and pharyngeal jaws of cichlids and vertebrae of gymnotids), on dermal bone (mandibula of salmonids and characoids and frontal bone of cichlids), on chondroid bone (pharyngeal jaws of cichlids), and on elasmoid body scales (eichlids and gymnotids). Osteoclasts acting along the bone surface usually lie in a Howship's lacuna whereas others are wrapped around bone extremities. Electronmicroscopical observations reveal that teleost osteoclasts show features similar to those of higher vertebrate osteoclasts, c.g., the presence of a ruffled border and the occurrence of numerous vacuoles, lysosomes and mitochondria. The multinucleated aspect that characterizes osteoclasts in other vertebrate groups is not a distinct feature of teleost osteoclasts since some are possibly mononucleated. Teleost osteoclasts are also able to resorb uncalcified tissues adjoining bone resorption areas, either as a primary process directed toward the tissue (basal plate of elasmoid scale) or as a secondary phenomenon (cartilage).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Equipe de Recherche ‘Formations Squelettiques’, UA CNRS 04 1137, Université Paris VII, Paris, France

    Jean-Yves Sire & François J. Meunier

  2. Laboratorium voor Morfologie en Systematiek der Dieren, Gent, Belgium

    Ann Huysseune

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  1. Jean-Yves Sire
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  2. Ann Huysseune
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  3. François J. Meunier
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Sire, JY., Huysseune, A. & Meunier, F.J. Osteoclasts in teleost fish: Light-and electron-microscopical observations. Cell Tissue Res 260, 85–94 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00297493

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