Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2001;3(1):6-12.
doi: 10.1186/ar134. Epub 2000 Nov 2.

The role of TNF-receptor family members and other TRAF-dependent receptors in bone resorption

E M Gravallese  1 , D L Galson, S R Goldring, P E Auron
Affiliations
Review

The role of TNF-receptor family members and other TRAF-dependent receptors in bone resorption

E M Gravallese et al. Arthritis Res. 2001.

Abstract

The contribution of osteoclasts to the process of bone loss in inflammatory arthritis has recently been demonstrated. Studies in osteoclast biology have led to the identification of factors responsible for the differentiation and activation of osteoclasts, the most important of which is the receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand/osteoclast differentiation factor (RANKL/ODF), a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-like protein. The RANKL/ODF receptor, receptor activator of NF-kappa B (RANK), is a TNF-receptor family member present on both osteoclast precursors and mature osteoclasts. Like other TNF-family receptors and the IL-1 receptor, RANK mediates its signal transduction via TNF receptor-associated factor (TRAF) proteins, suggesting that the signaling pathways activated by RANK and other inflammatory cytokines involved in osteoclast differentiation and activation are interconnected.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Simplified schematic view of the interactions between membrane-bound RANKL on osteoblast/bone stromal cells and its receptor RANK on osteoclast precursor cells. This interaction leads to the differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells and the activation of osteoclasts to resorb bone. OPG can inhibit this interaction by binding to membrane-bound RANKL and blocking the RANKL-RANK interaction. D3, vitamin D3; M-CSF, macrophage-colony stimulating factor; OC, osteoclast.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Interrelationships among receptors that signal via TRAFs. Double-headed, dashed arrows indicate known direct protein-protein interactions; solid arrows represent enzymatic and functional pathways. Emphasis is placed on distinctions between osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast activation. Abbreviations and terms are defined in the text.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Leisen JCC, Duncan H, Riddle JM, Pitchford WC. The erosive front: a topographic study of the junction between the pannus and the subchondral plate in the macerated rheumatoid metacarpal head. J Rheumatol. 1988;15:17–22. - PubMed
    1. Bromley M, Woolley DE. Chondroclasts and osteoclasts at subchondral sites of erosion in the rheumatoid joint. Arthritis Rheum. 1984;27:968–975. - PubMed
    1. Gravallese EM, Harada Y, Wang JT, Gorn AH, Thornhill TS, Goldring SR. Identification of cell types responsible for bone resorption in rheumatoid arthritis and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Am J Pathol. 1998;152:943–951. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Romas E, Bakharevski O, Hards DK, Kartsogiannis V, Quinn JMW, Ryan PFJ, Martin J, Gillespie MT. Expression of osteoclast differentiation factor at sites of bone erosion in collagen-induced arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2000;43:821–826. - PubMed
    1. Suzuki Y, Nishikaku F, Nakatuka M, Koga Y. Osteoclast-like cells in murine collagen induced arthritis. J Rheumatol. 1998;25:1154–1160. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources