Alteration of RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in primary cultured osteoclasts from SERCA2+/- mice

Abstract

RANKL is essential for the terminal differentiation of monocytes/ marcrophages into osteoclasts. RANKL induces long-lasting oscillations in the intracellular concentration of Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) only after 24 h of stimulation. These Ca2+ oscillations play a switch-on role in NFATc1 expression and osteoclast differentiation. Which Ca2+ transporting pathway is induced by RANKL to evoke the Ca 2+ oscillations and its specific role in RANKL-mediated osteoclast differentiation is not known. This study examined the effect of a partial loss of sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase type2 (SERCA2) on osteoclast differentiation in SERCA2 heterozygote mice (SERCA2+/-). The BMD in the tibias of SERCA2+/- mice increased >1.5-fold compared with wildtype mice (WT). RANKL-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations were generated 48 h after RANKL treatment in the WT mice but not in the SERCA2+/- bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). Forty-eight hours after RANKL treatment, there was a lower level of NFATc1 protein expression and markedly reduced translocation of NFATc1 into the nucleus during osteoclastogenesis of the SERCA2+/- BMMs. In addition, RANKL treatment of SERCA2+/- BMMs incompletely induced formation of multinucleated cells, leading to reduced bone resorption activity. These results suggest that RANKL-mediated induction of SERCA2 plays a critical role in the RANKL-induced [Ca2+]i oscillations that are essential for osteoclastogenesis. © 2009 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.