An integrated multi-omics analysis reveals osteokines involved in global regulation

Bone secretory proteins, termed osteokines, regulate bone metabolism and whole-body homeostasis. However, fundamental questions as to what the bona fide osteokines and their cellular sources are and how they are regulated remain unclear. In this study, we analyzed bone and extraskeletal tissues, osteoblast (OB) conditioned media, bone marrow supernatant (BMS), and serum, for basal osteokines and those responsive to aging and mechanical loading/unloading. We identified 375 candidate osteokines and their changes in response to aging and mechanical dynamics by integrating data from RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, and proteomic approaches. Furthermore, we analyzed their cellular sources in the bone and inter-organ communication facilitated by them (bone-brain, liver, and aorta). Notably, we discovered that senescent OBs secrete fatty-acid-binding protein 3 to propagate senescence toward vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Taken together, we identified previously unknown candidate osteokines and established a dynamic regulatory network among them, thus providing valuable resources to further investigate their systemic roles. [Display omitted] •Multi-omic analysis reveals previously unknown osteokines and their cellular sources•Osteokines change in response to aging and mechanical dynamics•Osteokines establish intercellular crosstalk between bone and extraskeletal organs•FABP3, an aging-related osteokine, promotes VSMC senescence related to atherogenesis Liang et al. use an integrated multi-omics approach to identify osteokines under physiological, aging, and mechanical loading/unloading conditions. They identified 375 candidate osteokines and analyzed their cellular sources and inter-organ communication regulated by them (bone-brain, liver, and aorta).