Evidence for osteocyte regulation of bone homeostasis through RANKL expression

Tomoki Nakashima, Mikihito Hayashi, Takanobu Fukunaga, Kosaku Kurata, Masatsugu Oh-Hora, Jian Q. Feng, Lynda F. Bonewald, Tatsuhiko Kodama, Anton Wutz, Erwin F. Wagner, Josef M. Penninger, Hiroshi Takayanagi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1208 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Osteocytes embedded in bone have been postulated to orchestrate bone homeostasis by regulating both bone-forming osteoblasts and bone-resorbing osteoclasts. We find here that purified osteocytes express a much higher amount of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) and have a greater capacity to support osteoclastogenesis in vitro than osteoblasts and bone marrow stromal cells. Furthermore, the severe osteopetrotic phenotype that we observe in mice lacking RANKL specifically in osteocytes indicates that osteocytes are the major source of RANKL in bone remodeling in vivo.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1231-1234
Number of pages4
JournalNature medicine
Volume17
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2011

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)

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