Loss of a key protein leads to defects in skeletal development including reduced bone density and a shortening of the fingers and toes - a condition known as brachydactyly. The discovery was made by researchers at Penn State University who knocked out the Speckle-type POZ Protein (Spop) in the mouse and characterized the impact on bone development. The research, which appears online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, redefines the role of Spop during bone development and provides a new potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of bone diseases such as osteoporosis.
