NOTCH-dependent signaling pathways are critical for normal bone remodeling; however, it is unclear if dysfunctional NOTCH activation contributes to inflammation-mediated bone loss, as observed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. We performed RNA sequencing and pathway analyses in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from transgenic
Hengwei Zhang, Matthew J. Hilton, Jennifer H. Anolik, Stephen L. Welle, Chen Zhao, Zhenqiang Yao, Xing Li, Zhiyu Wang, Brendan F. Boyce, Lianping Xing
Patient bone mineral density (BMD) predicts the likelihood of osteoporotic fracture. While substantial progress has been made toward elucidating the genetic determinants of BMD, our understanding of the factors involved remains incomplete. Here, using a systems genetics approach in the mouse, we predicted that bicaudal C homolog 1 (
Larry D. Mesner, Brianne Ray, Yi-Hsiang Hsu, Ani Manichaikul, Eric Lum, Elizabeth C. Bryda, Stephen S. Rich, Clifford J. Rosen, Michael H. Criqui, Matthew Allison, Matthew J. Budoff, Thomas L. Clemens, Charles R. Farber
The cytokines RANKL and TNF activate NF-κB signaling in osteoclast precursors (OCPs) to induce osteoclast (OC) formation. Conversely, TNF can limit OC formation through NF-κB p100, which acts as an inhibitor, and TNF receptor–associated receptor 3 (TRAF3); however, a role for TRAF3 in RANKL-mediated OC formation is unknown. We found that TRAF3 limits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis by suppressing canonical and noncanonical NF-κB signaling. Conditional OC-specific
Yan Xiu, Hao Xu, Chen Zhao, Jinbo Li, Yoshikazu Morita, Zhenqiang Yao, Lianping Xing, Brendan F. Boyce
ROS are implicated in bone diseases. NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), a constitutively active enzymatic source of ROS, may contribute to the development of such disorders. Therefore, we studied the role of NOX4 in bone homeostasis.
Claudia Goettsch, Andrea Babelova, Olivia Trummer, Reinhold G. Erben, Martina Rauner, Stefan Rammelt, Norbert Weissmann, Valeska Weinberger, Sebastian Benkhoff, Marian Kampschulte, Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch, Lorenz C. Hofbauer, Ralf P. Brandes, Katrin Schröder
Mice deficient in Schnurri-3 (SHN3; also known as HIVEP3) display increased bone formation, but harnessing this observation for therapeutic benefit requires an improved understanding of how SHN3 functions in osteoblasts. Here we identified SHN3 as a dampener of ERK activity that functions in part downstream of WNT signaling in osteoblasts. A D-domain motif within SHN3 mediated the interaction with and inhibition of ERK activity and osteoblast differentiation, and knockin of a mutation in
Jae-Hyuck Shim, Matthew B. Greenblatt, Weiguo Zou, Zhiwei Huang, Marc N. Wein, Nicholas Brady, Dorothy Hu, Jean Charron, Heather R. Brodkin, Gregory A. Petsko, Dennis Zaller, Bo Zhai, Steven Gygi, Laurie H. Glimcher, Dallas C. Jones
Bone remodeling is characterized by the sequential, local tethering of osteoclasts and osteoblasts and is key to the maintenance of bone integrity. While bone matrix–mobilized growth factors, such as TGF-β, are proposed to regulate remodeling, no in vivo evidence exists that an osteoclast-produced molecule serves as a coupling factor for bone resorption to formation. We found that CTHRC1, a protein secreted by mature bone-resorbing osteoclasts, targets stromal cells to stimulate osteogenesis.
Sunao Takeshita, Toshio Fumoto, Kazuhiko Matsuoka, Kyoung-ae Park, Hiroyuki Aburatani, Shigeaki Kato, Masako Ito, Kyoji Ikeda
Wnt/β-catenin/TCF signaling stimulates bone formation and suppresses adipogenesis. The hallmarks of skeletal involution with age, on the other hand, are decreased bone formation and increased bone marrow adiposity. These changes are associated with increased oxidative stress and decreased growth factor production, which activates members of the FOXO family of transcription factors. FOXOs in turn attenuate Wnt/β-catenin signaling by diverting β-catenin from TCF- to FOXO-mediated transcription. We show herein that mice lacking
Srividhya Iyer, Elena Ambrogini, Shoshana M. Bartell, Li Han, Paula K. Roberson, Rafael de Cabo, Robert L. Jilka, Robert S. Weinstein, Charles A. O’Brien, Stavros C. Manolagas, Maria Almeida
Osteoclasts are bone resorbing, multinucleate cells that differentiate from mononuclear macrophage/monocyte-lineage hematopoietic precursor cells. Although previous studies have revealed important molecular signals, how the bone resorptive functions of such cells are controlled in vivo remains less well characterized. Here, we visualized fluorescently labeled mature osteoclasts in intact mouse bone tissues using intravital multiphoton microscopy. Within this mature population, we observed cells with distinct motility behaviors and function, with the relative proportion of static – bone resorptive (R) to moving – nonresorptive (N) varying in accordance with the pathophysiological conditions of the bone. We also found that rapid application of the osteoclast-activation factor RANKL converted many N osteoclasts to R, suggesting a novel point of action in RANKL-mediated control of mature osteoclast function. Furthermore, we showed that Th17 cells, a subset of RANKL-expressing CD4+ T cells, could induce rapid N-to-R conversion of mature osteoclasts via cell-cell contact. These findings provide new insights into the activities of mature osteoclasts in situ and identify actions of RANKL-expressing Th17 cells in inflammatory bone destruction.
Junichi Kikuta, Yoh Wada, Toshiyuki Kowada, Ze Wang, Ge-Hong Sun-Wada, Issei Nishiyama, Shin Mizukami, Nobuhiko Maiya, Hisataka Yasuda, Atsushi Kumanogoh, Kazuya Kikuchi, Ronald N. Germain, Masaru Ishii
Cathepsin K (CTSK) is secreted by osteoclasts to degrade collagen and other matrix proteins during bone resorption. Global deletion of
Sutada Lotinun, Riku Kiviranta, Takuma Matsubara, Jorge A. Alzate, Lynn Neff, Anja Lüth, Ilpo Koskivirta, Burkhard Kleuser, Jean Vacher, Eero Vuorio, William C. Horne, Roland Baron
The detection of estrogen receptor-α (ERα) in osteoblasts and osteoclasts over 20 years ago suggested that direct effects of estrogens on both of these cell types are responsible for their beneficial effects on the skeleton, but the role of ERα in osteoblast lineage cells has remained elusive. In addition, estrogen activation of ERα in osteoclasts can only account for the protective effect of estrogens on the cancellous, but not the cortical, bone compartment that represents 80% of the entire skeleton. Here, we deleted ERα at different stages of differentiation in murine osteoblast lineage cells. We found that ERα in osteoblast progenitors expressing Osterix1 (Osx1) potentiates Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thereby increasing proliferation and differentiation of periosteal cells. Further, this signaling pathway was required for optimal cortical bone accrual at the periosteum in mice. Notably, this function did not require estrogens. The osteoblast progenitor ERα mediated a protective effect of estrogens against endocortical, but not cancellous, bone resorption. ERα in mature osteoblasts or osteocytes did not influence cancellous or cortical bone mass. Hence, the ERα in both osteoblast progenitors and osteoclasts functions to optimize bone mass but at distinct bone compartments and in response to different cues.
Maria Almeida, Srividhya Iyer, Marta Martin-Millan, Shoshana M. Bartell, Li Han, Elena Ambrogini, Melda Onal, Jinhu Xiong, Robert S. Weinstein, Robert L. Jilka, Charles A. O’Brien, Stavros C. Manolagas