Optogenetic activation of Plexin-B1 reveals contact repulsion between osteoclasts and osteoblasts

Abstract

Osteoclasts induce chemotaxis of osteoblasts during bone remodelling, but maintain spatial segregation. Here the authors show that osteoclasts repel osteoblasts via contact inhibition of locomotion mediated by Semaphorin-Plexin signalling and develop an optogenetic tool for Plexin-B1 to show how this signalling axis induces cell repolarization.