Cellular biology and biochemical mechanism of bone resorption. A review of recent developments on the formation, activation, and mode of action of osteoclasts

The newest knowledge on the osteoclast allows us to consider bone resorption in a global perspective, as the resultant of three successive steps that may each be individually regulated by physiopathologic or pharmacologic agents. The first involves the formation of osteoclast progenitors in hematopoietic tissues followed by their vascular dissemination and the generation of resting preosteoclasts and osteoclasts in bone. The second consists in the activation of osteoclasts at the contact of mineralized bone. Osteoblasts appear to control this step by exposing the mineral to osteoclasts and preosteoclasts and/or by releasing a soluble factor that activates these cells. In a third step, activated osteoclasts resorb both the mineral and the organic of mineralized bone through the action of agents that they secrete in the segregated zone underlying their ruffled border. The mineral appears to be solubilized by hydrogen ions secreted by an ATP-driven proton pump located at that border and fed by protons generated from CO2 by carbonic anhydrase. The removal of organic matrix, which could be prepared by osteoblast collagenase at the level of nonmineralized bone surfaces, appears dependent on acid proteinases, particularly cysteine-proteinases, secreted, together with other lysosomal enzymes, in the acid microenvironment of the resorption zone.     

Osteoclasts prefer aged bone

Summary We investigated whether the age of the bones endogenously exerts control over the bone resorption ability of the osteoclasts, and found that osteoclasts preferentially develop and resorb bone on aged bone. These findings indicate that the bone matrix itself plays a role in targeted remodeling of aged bones. Introduction Osteoclasts resorb aging bone in order to repair damage and maintain the quality of bone. The mechanism behind the targeting of aged bone for remodeling is not clear. We investigated whether bones endogenously possess the ability to control osteoclastic resorption. Methods To biochemically distinguish aged and young bones; we measured the ratio between the age-isomerized βCTX fragment and the non-isomerized αCTX fragment. By measurement of TRACP activity, CTX release, number of TRACP positive cells and pit area/pit number, we evaluated osteoclastogenesis as well as osteoclast resorption on aged and young bones. Results We found that the αCTX / βCTX ratio is 3:1 in young compared to aged bones, and we found that both α and βCTX are released by osteoclasts during resorption. Osteoclastogenesis was augmented on aged compared to young bones, and the difference was enhanced under low serum conditions. We found that mature osteoclasts resorb more on aged than on young bone, despite unchanged adhesion and morphology. Conclusions These data indicate that the age of the bone plays an important role in controlling osteoclast-mediated resorption, with significantly higher levels of osteoclast differentiation and resorption on aged bones when compared to young bones. Kim Henriksen and Diana J. Leeming contributed equally. Financial disclosure: Morten A. Karsdal, Per Qvist and Claus Christiansen own stock options in Nordic Bioscience A/S     

Bisphosphonates suppress bone resorption by a direct effect on early osteoclast precursors without affecting the osteoclastogenic capacity of osteogenic cells: the role of protein geranylgeranylation in the action of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates on osteoclast precursors.

Nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates (NBps) are taken up by osteoclasts and inhibit farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase, an enzyme of the mevalonate pathway. There is evidence, however, that cells other than mature osteoclasts, like osteoclast precursors and osteoblasts, are also involved in the action of Bps on bone resorption in vitro. To examine this issue further, we developed a new in vitro model, which allows the study of the effects of additives on early osteoclast precursors. In this model, osteogenic cells are essential for osteoclastogenesis. The model consists of 15-day-old fetal mouse metatarsals. At time of explantation, these bone rudiments do not yet contain a mineralized matrix or osteoclasts; only early osteoclast precursors are present in the perichondrium. During culture and after the addition of Nabeta-glycerolphosphate, the bones form a mineralized matrix that is consequently resorbed by osteoclasts that develop from their precursors. Short treatment of these explants with Bps, before the formation of a mineralized matrix, resulted in a subsequent dose-dependent inhibition of bone resorption. The relative potencies of eight Bps to suppress resorption were comparable with those observed after the addition of Bps after the formation of a mineralized matrix, the natural target of Bps. In addition, the effects of the NBp olpadronate, but not of clodronate, on osteoclastic resorption, could be partly reversed by geranylgeraniol. Results indicate that Bps can suppress osteoclastic resorption in vitro by a direct action on very early osteoclast precursors at the bone surface, and not by affecting the osteoclastogenic capacity of osteogenic cells. Moreover, the mechanism of action of the NBp olpadronate, but not clodronate, on early tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-negative osteoclast precursors involves inhibition of protein geranylgeranylation, indicating a molecular mechanism similar to that established for mature osteoclasts.     

Polarized osteoclasts put marks of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase on dentin slices--a simple method for identifying polarized osteoclasts

Osteoclasts form ruffled borders and sealing zones toward bone surfaces to resorb bone. Sealing zones are defined as ringed structures of F-actin dots (actin rings). Polarized osteoclasts secrete protons to bone surfaces via vacuolar proton ATPase through ruffled borders. Catabolic enzymes such as tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and cathepsin K are also secreted to bone surfaces. Here we show a simple method of identifying functional vestiges of polarized osteoclasts. Osteoclasts obtained from cocultures of mouse osteoblasts and bone marrow cells were cultured for 48 h on dentin slices. Cultures were then fixed and stained for TRAP to identify osteoclasts on the slices. Cells were removed from the slices with cotton swabs, and the slices subjected to TRAP and Mayer's hematoxylin staining. Small TRAP-positive spots (TRAP-marks) were detected in the resorption pits stained with Mayer's hematoxylin. Pitted areas were not always located in the places of osteoclasts, but osteoclasts existed on all TRAP-marks. A time course experiment showed that the number of TRAP-marks was maintained, while the number of resorption pits increased with the culture period. The position of actin rings formed in osteoclasts corresponded to that of TRAP-marks on dentin slices. Immunostaining of dentin slices showed that both cathepsin K and vacuolar proton ATPase were colocalized with the TRAP-marks. Treatment of osteoclast cultures with alendronate, a bisphosphonate, suppressed the formation of TRAP-marks and resorption pits without affecting the cell viability. Calcitonin induced the disappearance of both actin rings and TRAP-marks in osteoclast cultures. These results suggest that TRAP-marks are vestiges of proteins secreted by polarized osteoclasts.     

Osteoclasts on Bone and Dentin In Vitro: Mechanism of Trail Formation and Comparison of Resorption Behavior

The main function of osteoclasts in vivo is the resorption of bone matrix, leaving behind typical resorption traces consisting of pits and trails. The mechanism of pit formation is well described, but less is known about trail formation. Pit-forming osteoclasts possess round actin rings. In this study we show that trail-forming osteoclasts have crescent-shaped actin rings and provide a model that describes the detailed mechanism. To generate a trail, the actin ring of the resorption organelle attaches with one side outside the existing trail margin. The other side of the ring attaches to the wall inside the trail, thus sealing that narrow part to be resorbed next (3–21 μm). This 3D configuration allows vertical resorption layer-by-layer from the surface to a depth in combination with horizontal cell movement. Thus, trails are not just traces of a horizontal translation of osteoclasts during resorption. Additionally, we compared osteoclastic resorption on bone and dentin since the latter is the most frequently used in vitro model and data are extrapolated to bone. Histomorphometric analyses revealed a material-dependent effect reflected by an 11-fold higher resorption area and a sevenfold higher number of pits per square centimeter on dentin compared to bone. An important material-independent aspect was reflected by comparable mean pit area (μm²) and podosome patterns. Hence, dentin promotes the generation of resorbing osteoclasts, but once resorption has started, it proceeds independently of material properties. Thus, dentin is a suitable model substrate for data acquisition as long as osteoclast generation is not part of the analyses.     

New knowledge on the origin, function and fate of osteoclasts

The most recent findings on the origin, life-span and fate of the osteoclast can be summarized as follows. Osteoclasts originate from progenitor, mononuclear, lymphoid cells which reach the bone surface through the bloodstream. Osteoclasts resorb bone by secreting lysosomal enzymes and procollagenase in the osteoclast-bone interspace. The organic components of the matrix (first interfibrillary substance, then collagen fibrils) are digested in the extracellular space. Dislodged crystals and residual organic constituents are then phagocytosed and collected in cytoplasmic vacuoles where they are completely solubilized. The ruffled border and the adjacent "clear" zone constitute the resorbing apparatus, whose development is roughly proportional to osteoclast activity. Osteoclast nuclei are continuously incorporated and shed, so that individual cells are continuously renewed. This makes the life-span of the osteoclast extremely difficult to determine. The life of each individual osteoclast might theoretically continue as long as the stimulus to resorption persists and sufficient bone matrix is available. Primary abnormalities of the osteoclasts can induce pathologic skeletal changes, as in the case of osteopetrosis and Paget's disease of bone. Conversely, skeletal abnormalities may damage osteoclasts, as in the case of lead intoxication. When this happens, osteoclasts are essentially characterized by an underdeveloped ruffled border, pyknotic nuclei, detachment from the bone matrix and, finally, shrinkage and fragmentation. It is not yet known whether these changes only occur in pathologic conditions, or whether they are the alterations which lead senescent osteoclasts to death even in normal bone.     

Matrix metalloproteinase-12 (MMP-12) in osteoclasts: new lesson on the involvement of MMPs in bone resorption

Osteoclasts require matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and cathepsin K to resorb bone, but the critical MMP has not been identified. Osteoclasts express MMP-9 and MMP-14, which do not appear limiting for resorption, and the expression of additional MMPs is not clear. MMP-12, also called metalloelastase, is reported only in a few cells, including tissue macrophages and hypertrophic chondrocytes. MMP-12 is critical for invasion and destruction in pathologies such as aneurysm and emphysema. In the present study, we demonstrate that osteoclasts express MMP-12, although only in some situations. Northern blots show that highly purified rabbit osteoclasts in culture express MMP-12 at the same level as macrophages, whereas in situ hybridizations performed on rabbit bone do not show any MMP-12 expression in osteoclasts whatever the bone type. In contrast, in situ hybridizations performed on mouse bone show MMP-12 expression in osteoclasts in calvariae and long bones. We also demonstrate that recombinant MMP-12 cleaves the putative functional domains of osteopontin and bone sialoprotein, two bone matrix proteins that strongly influence osteoclast activities, such as attachment, spreading and resorption. Furthermore, we investigated the role of MMP-12 in bone resorption and osteoclast recruitment by comparing MMP-12 knockout and wild-type mice in specialized culture models known to depend on MMP activity, as well as in the ovariectomy model, and we did not find any indication for a limiting role of MMP-12 in these processes. In conclusion, we found that osteoclasts are able to express MMP-12, but MMP-12 did not appear critical for osteoclast recruitment or resorption. The fact that none of the MMPs identified so far in osteoclasts appears limiting for resorption, gives strength to the hypothesis that the critical MMP for bone solubilization is produced by non-osteoclastic cells.     

Osteoclastic bone resorption: in vitro analysis of the rate of resorption and migration of individual osteoclasts

Osteoclasts isolated from the long bones of newborn rabbits were cultured on translucent devitalized bone slices and observed by phase-contrast time-lapse cinemicrography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). This has allowed us to measure the rate of resorption and the rate of migration of individual osteoclasts. Our films show that osteoclasts do not resorb while migrating. When the osteoclastic resorption areas, which are easily recognizable with phase-contrast microscopy as areas delineated by refractile lines, were observed by SEM, such areas appeared as excavated areas lined with a network of collagen fibrils. The rate of migration was calculated using time lapse recordings, and varied from 30 micron/hr to 248 micron/hr, with a mean +/- SEM of 105 +/- 10 micron/hr. The rate of resorption by individual osteoclasts was calculated using both time lapse and SEM data, and varied from 43 micron 3/hr to 1225 micron 3/hr with a mean +/- SEM of 390 +/- 109 micron 3/hr. Additional observations indicated not only that the same osteoclast can resorb at a different rate at different times without any definable alteration of the culture conditions, but also that the same osteoclast can simultaneously resorb two lacunae at different rates. These observations provide, for the first time, data on the rate of resorption and the rate of migration of individual osteoclasts on a bone substratum.     

Monocytes mediate osteoclastic bone resorption by prostaglandin production

Summary Monocytes are frequently found adjacent to active bone resorption surfaces in both physiological and pathological situations and may play a key role in bone resorption. There is strong circumstantial evidence that monocytes are precursors for osteoclasts in vivo, and recently they have been shown to resorb devitalized bone directly. The present study shows that monocytes can also resorb bone by stimulation of osteoclasts. Live fetal rodent bones prelabeled with⁴⁵Ca and cultured for 48–96 h in the presence of human monocytes or monocyte-conditioned medium released 80% more mineral than bones cultured in control medium. Bone matrix sustained comparable resorption as demonstrated by a 2-fold decrement in the extracted dry weights of the bones cultured in monocyte-conditioned medium. Histological examination of the bones cultured with monocytes or monocyte-conditioned medium showed increased osteoclast number and activity when compared with bones cultured in control medium. Known inhibitors of osteoclastic activity (phosphate 6 × 10⁻³M, cortisol 10⁻⁶M, and calcitonin 50 mU/ml) inhibited monocyte-conditioned medium-mediated bone resorption. The monocyte-conditioned medium contained sufficient prostaglandin E to account for the bone resorption. Indomethacin 10⁻⁵M added to the monocyte cultures blocked monocyte-conditioned media-induced bone resorption and prostaglandin release. These experiments suggest that monocytes stimulate osteoclastic bone resorption by prostaglandin production. Monocyte-induced bone resorption is partly reversed by inhibitors of osteoclast function. Monocyte-induced osteoclastic bone resorption may play an important role in physiologic bone remodeling and in bone destruction that occurs in chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal disease.     

Interstitial Collagenase Activity Stimulates the Formation of Actin Rings and Ruffled Membranes in Mouse Marrow Osteoclasts

Interstitial collagenase activity stimulates bone resorption by mouse marrow osteoclasts [1]. Here, we show that collagenase activity promotes bone resorption by activating adherent osteoclasts to resorb bone. Inhibition of interstitial collagenase activity, either with peptidomimetic hydroxymates or with a specific anti-interstitial collagenase inhibiting antibody, reduced bone resorption by 73-92%. Equal numbers of osteoclasts adhered to bone in the presence of collagenase inhibitors and osteoclast survival was unaffected. In contrast, formation of actin rings and polarization of the vacuolar-H+-ATPase (V-ATPase) to ruffled membranes, two indicators of osteoclast activation, were decreased by inhibiting collagenase activity and stimulated in the presence of cleaved or heat-denatured type I collagen in proportion to increases and decreases of bone resorptive activity. Addition of excess recombinant osteoprotegerin-ligand to cultures did not restore bone resorption in the presence of interstitial collagenase inhibitors. These data support the hypothesis that cleaved collagen stimulates osteoclastic bone resorption by triggering cytoskeletal reorganization and transport of V-ATPase from cytoplasmic stores to ruffled membranes.     

Heparin enhances osteoclastic bone resorption by inhibiting osteoprotegerin activity

Heparin is a highly sulfated glycosaminoglycan and has been shown to activate osteoclastic bone resorption though how is not yet clear. Here we investigate the molecule involved in heparin-induced activation of osteoclasts using an in vitro osteoclast culture assay. The formation and activation of osteoclasts are induced by receptor activator of NFkappaB ligand (RANKL) on osteoblasts, and inhibited by osteoprotegerin (OPG), a decoy receptor of RANKL, which is secreted from osteoblasts. In a coculture of mouse bone marrow cells and osteoblasts treated with 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) and prostaglandin E(2) on dentin slices, the bone marrow cells differentiate into osteoclasts, and resorption pits are formed on the dentin slices. Addition of heparin, various glycosaminoglycans, and chemically modified heparins to the coculture reveals that heparin enhances the pit-forming activity of osteoclasts, and this effect of heparin on the activation of osteoclasts is dependent on its sugar chain structure. By contrast, mRNA expression levels of RANKL, RANK, and OPG in the coculture are not altered by heparin treatment. Furthermore, neither RANK nor RANKL binds to heparin, suggesting that heparin does not directly interact with these proteins. Instead, heparin specifically binds to OPG and prevents OPG-mediated inhibition of osteoclastic bone resorption in the coculture. Heparin treatment does not enhance osteoclastic bone resorption in a monoculture of osteoclasts derived from bone marrow cells, and in the coculture using osteoblasts from OPG-deficient mice. A (125)I-OPG binding assay showed that OPG binds to osteoblasts and that this binding is inhibited by the addition of heparin, suggesting that OPG binds to RANKL on the osteoblast membrane and that heparin blocks this interaction. These results demonstrate that heparin enhances osteoclastic bone resorption by inhibiting OPG activity.     

Alendronate Disturbs Vesicular Trafficking in Osteoclasts

The nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate alendronate inhibits osteoclast-mediated bone resorption through inhibition of the mevalonate pathway. This results in impaired protein prenylation and may affect the function of small GTPases in osteoclasts. Since these proteins are important regulators of vesicle transport in cells, we investigated the possible interference of alendronate with these processes in isolated rat osteoclasts. We show here that alendronate-induced inhibition of bone resorption coincides with accumulation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase- and electron dense material-containing tubular vesicles in osteoclasts. Alendronate-induced changes in osteoclasts also included widening of the sealing zone areas and incomplete organization of tight attachments and ruffled borders. Osteoclasts also appeared partially detached from the bone surface, and organic matrix was typically dissolved only at the edges of the resorption pits on alendronate-coated bone slices. In contrast, resorption pits on the control and clodronate-coated bone slices were thoroughly resorbed. Inhibition of bone resorption by alendronate was not, however, related to a decrease in osteoclast number. In conclusion, our findings suggest that alendronate inactivates osteoclasts by mechanisms that impair their intracellular vesicle transport, apoptosis being only a secondary phenomenon to this.     

Improved methods for testing antiresorptive compounds in human osteoclast cultures

We cultured human bone marrow-derived stem cells on bovine bone slices in 96-well plates in the presence of M-CSF and RANKL, allowing them to differentiate into osteoclasts. Secreted TRACP 5b was a useful endpoint measurement to demonstrate effects of inhibitors of osteoclast differentiation in the culture system, reflecting accurately the number of formed osteoclasts. Inhibitors of osteoclast activity were added into the cultures after the differentiation period, and the cultures were continued to allow the formed osteoclasts to resorb bone. CTX values obtained after the resorption period were normalized with TRACP 5b values obtained after the differentiation period, before adding the inhibitors. This normalization prevents false results that could be obtained from the presence of different amounts of osteoclasts in different wells before adding the inhibitors. These results demonstrate that the use of TRACP 5b and CTX allows rapid and reliable testing of antiresorptive compounds in human osteoclast cultures.     

Regulation of osteoclast differentiation and function by phosphate: potential role of osteoclasts in the skeletal abnormalities in hypophosphatemic conditions.

Mice fed with a low Pi diet exhibited decreased osteoclast number. Hyp mice also showed decreased osteoclasts, and high Pi reversed it. Low Pi reduced osteoclast formation and bone resorption in vitro. Hypophosphatemia may suppress osteoclast differentiation/function, leading to skeletal abnormalities. INTRODUCTION: Skeletal abnormalities seen in hypophosphatemic disorders indicate a critical role of phosphate (Pi) in skeletogenesis. However, the role of osteoclasts in the pathogenesis of the disturbed skeletogenesis is unclear. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice fed with a low-Pi diet and Hyp mice that are characterized by hypophosphatemia and impaired osteogenesis were studied. Effects of Pi on osteoclast formation and bone resorption were also examined in vitro. RESULTS: Histomorphometric examination showed that mice on a low-Pi diet exhibited decreased osteoclast number. Furthermore, osteoclast number in Hyp mice was also decreased compared with wildtype (WT) mice. Of note, feeding of Hyp mice with high-Pi diet significantly reversed hypophosphatemia, improved disturbed osteogenesis, and increased osteoclast number. Osteoclast-like cell (OLC) formation and bone resorption in Hyp bone marrow cells was not different from WT bone marrow cells. On the other hand, OLC formation and bone resorption were decreased in conjunction with reduced mRNA expression of RANKL in WT bone marrow cells cultured in the medium containing low Pi (0.5 mM). Recombinant human matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE), a candidate for phosphatonin, also decreased osteoclast formation, whereas fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), another phosphatonin candidate, showed no effects. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that Pi controls the differentiation and function of osteoclasts. These actions of Pi on osteoclasts may be associated with the pathogenesis of the skeletal abnormalities in hypophosphatemic disorders.     

Correlation of an osteoclast antigen and ruffled border on giant cells formed in response to resorbable substrates

The osteoclast is the specialized multinucleated cell primarily responsible for the degradation of the organic and inorganic components of bone matrix. The functional and developmental relationship between osteoclasts and foreign body giant cells is unclear. The osteoclast plasma membrane ruffled border juxtaposed to the bone surface is a unique morphologic characteristic of active osteoclasts. In the studies reported here giant cell formation was induced in response to a variety of materials implanted onto the richly vascularized chick chorioallantoic membrane. Light and electron microscopic techniques were used to examine the morphologic characteristics of the giant cells. In addition, immunohistochemical methods were used to demonstrate the appearance of a 150 kD cell surface antigen on chicken osteoclasts recognized by monoclonal antibody 121F. Giant cells that formed in response to mineralized bone particles exhibited ruffled borders and stained positively with the 121F antibody. Many giant cells that formed in response to hydroxyapatite possessed ruffled borders similar to but not as extensive as those observed on giant cells formed on bone. Immunohistochemical localization of the 121F antigen on these cells suggested that the antigen was present, but staining intensity was reduced compared to that of bone-associated giant cells. The formation of mineral matrix complexes by the adsorption to hydroxyapatite of bone extract or osteocalcin enhanced ruffled borders and the presence of the 121F antigen on elicited giant cells. In contrast, giant cells that formed on non-resorbable materials, such as Sepharose beads, mica, and methacrylate, lacked ruffled borders and were negative for the 121F antigen. It appears that expression of the 121F osteoclast antigen correlates with the appearance and extent of ruffled membranes on giant cells. Furthermore, it appears that giant cell ruffled membrane development and the presence of the 121F osteoclast antigen are related to giant cell formation in response to resorbable materials that are subject to extracellular dissolution. Expression of this antigen may be indicative of the developmental and/or functional state of giant cells (osteoclasts) that form on resorbable substrates. In addition, components of the bone matrix, including osteocalcin, in association with bone mineral, lead to elevated levels of this osteoclast antigen.     

Generation of bone-resorbing osteoclasts from B220+ cells: its role in accelerated osteoclastogenesis due to estrogen deficiency.

Estrogen deficiency stimulates both osteoclastic bone resorption and pre-B lymphopoiesis, the interrelationships between which remain unknown. To investigate the involvement of an increase in the number of B220+ cells in accelerated osteoclastogenesis after estrogen deficiency, we first examined whether ovariectomy (OVX) increased the frequency of clonogenic osteoclast precursors in bone marrow. The results were that after OVX, the frequency of clonogenic osteoclast precursors is increased in bone marrow, suggesting that accumulated osteoclast precursors contribute to accelerated osteoclastogenesis. Further, we found that cocultures of B220+ cells purified from bone marrow cells and stromal ST2 cells in the presence of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] gave rise to osteoclasts that can resorb bone and express calcitonin receptors. When the frequencies of clonogenic osteoclast precursors in the purified B220+ and B220- cell fractions were compared, it was found that the fractions gave rise to osteoclasts at similar frequencies, which rules out the possibility of cross-contamination and suggests that the two fractions contain comparable numbers of osteoclast precursors. Furthermore, we identified cells that are positive for both tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) and B220, not only in cocultures of B220+ and ST2 cells, but also in freshly isolated unfractionated bone cells. Therefore, it is concluded that at least a subfraction of B220+ cells are capable of generating osteoclasts and that the increase in the number of B220+ cells caused by estrogen deficiency may contribute to accelerated bone resorption by this novel osteoclastogenesis pathway.     

Degradation of the organic phase of bone by osteoclasts: a secondary role for lysosomal acidification.

Osteoclasts degrade bone matrix by secretion of hydrochloric acid and proteases. We studied the processes involved in the degradation of the organic matrix of bone in detail and found that lysosomal acidification is involved in this process and that MMPs are capable of degrading the organic matrix in the absence of cathepsin K. INTRODUCTION: Osteoclasts resorb bone by secretion of acid by the vacuolar H+-adenosine triphosphatase (V-ATPase) and the chloride channel ClC-7, followed by degradation of the matrix, mainly collagen type I, by cathepsin K and possibly by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). However, the switch from acidification to proteolysis and the exact roles of both the ion transporters and the proteinases still remain to be studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We isolated CD14+ monocytes from human peripheral blood from either controls or patients with autosomal dominant osteopetrosis type II (ADOII) caused by defective ClC-7 function and cultured them in the presence of RANKL and macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) to generate osteoclasts. We decalcified cortical bovine bone slices and studied the osteoclasts with respect to morphology, markers, and degradation of the decalcified matrix in the presence of various inhibitors of osteoclast acidification and proteolysis, using normal calcified bone as a reference. RESULTS: We found that ADOII osteoclasts not only have reduced resorption of the calcified matrix, but also 40% reduced degradation of the organic phase of bone. We found that both acidification inhibitors and cathepsin K inhibitors reduced degradation of the organic matrix by 40% in normal osteoclasts, but had no effect in the ADOII osteoclasts. Furthermore, we showed that inhibition of MMPs leads to a 70% reduction in the degradation of the organic bone matrix and that MMPs and cathepsin K have additive effects. Finally, we show that osteoclastic MMPs mediate release of the carboxyterminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ICTP) fragment in the absence of cathepsin K activity, and therefore, to some extent, are able to compensate for the loss of cathepsin K activity. CONCLUSIONS: These data clearly show that osteoclastic acidification of the lysosomes plays a hitherto nonrecognized role in degradation of the organic matrix. Furthermore, these data shed light on the complicated interplay between acidification dependent and independent proteolytic processes, mediated by cathepsin K and the MMPs, respectively.     

Osteoclast polarization is not required for degradation of bone matrix in rachitic FGF23 transgenic mice

Hypophosphatemic transgenic (tg) mice overexpressing FGF23 in osteoblasts display disorganized growth plates and reduced bone mineral density characteristic of rickets/osteomalacia. These FGF23 tg mice were used as an in vivo model to examine the relation between osteoclast polarization, secretion of proteolytic enzymes and resorptive activity. Tg mice had increased mRNA expression levels of the osteoblast differentiation marker Runx2 and mineralization-promoting proteins alkaline phosphatase and bone sialoprotein in the long bones compared to wild type (wt) mice. In contrast, expression of alpha1(I) collagen, osteocalcin, dentin matrix protein 1 and osteopontin was unchanged, indicating selective activation of osteoblasts promoting mineralization. The number of osteoclasts was unchanged in tg compared to wt mice, as determined by histomorphometry, serum levels of TRAP 5b activity as well as mRNA expression levels of TRAP and cathepsin K. However, tg mice displayed elevated serum concentrations of C-terminal telopeptide of collagen I (CTX) indicative of increased bone matrix degradation. The majority of osteoclasts in FGF23 tg mice lacked ultrastructural morphological signs of proper polarization. However, they secreted both cathepsin K and MMP-9 at levels comparable to osteoclasts with ruffled borders. Mineralization of bone matrix thus appears essential for inducing osteoclast polarization but not for secretion of osteoclast proteases. Finally, release of CTX by freshly isolated osteoclasts was increased on demineralized compared to mineralized bovine bone slices, indicating that the mineral component limits collagen degradation. We conclude that ruffled borders are implicated in acidification and subsequent demineralization of the bone matrix, however not required for matrix degradation. The data collectively provide evidence that osteoclasts, despite absence of ruffled borders, effectively participate in the degradation of hypomineralized bone matrix in rachitic FGF23 tg mice.     

Role of DC-STAMP in cellular fusion of osteoclasts and macrophage giant cells

Osteoclasts are the only cells that can resorb bone matrix physiologically and maintain the bone content. Osteoclasts are derived from macrophage/monocyte lineage cells; stimulation by macrophage colony stimulating factor and receptor activator of NFκB ligand induces osteoclastogenesis. During osteoclastogenesis, preosteoclasts fuse to form multinuclear mature osteoclasts. Cellular fusion is a unique phenomenon and enables fertilization, myotube formation, and efficient bone resorption in vertebrates. To date, several molecules have been reported to be fusion related in osteoclasts, namely CD44, CD47, ADAM12, MCP-1, and CD9, although the molecules which regulate osteoclast cellular fusion remain unclear. Here, we show that the seven-transmembrane-region receptor dendritic cell-specific transmembrane protein (DC-STAMP) is required for cell–cell fusion of osteoclasts and foreign body giant cells.