摘要
Osteoclasts (OCs) are the only bone-resorbing cells and are critically involved in various bone-associated diseases, including osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis. Differentiation of OCs from bone marrow macrophage cells (BMMs) is regulated by RANK and the adaptor protein (DAP12/FcR纬)-mediated costimulatory signals. However, it is unknown how RANKL/RANK signal stimulates phosphorylation of DAP12/FcR纬 to initiate the costimulatory signals. As reported here, we found that OC differentiation and acquisition of bone resorption capacity were suppressed in RANKL-stimulated Fyn鈭?鈭?/sup> or Fyn-siRNA-transfected BMMs, but could be restored by overexpression of Fyn kinase in Fyn鈭?鈭?/sup> BMMs. However, the RANKL-stimulated proliferation of BMMs was unaffected by the absence of Fyn. In addition, RANKL-stimulated Fyn鈭?鈭?/sup> BMMs no longer exhibited the optimal induction of typical OC markers such as NFATc1, c-Fos, c-Src, TRAF6, and cathepsin K or costimulatory signals such as the activating phosphorylations of Syk, PLC纬2, and Gab2. These were restored by overexpression of Fyn in Fyn鈭?鈭?/sup> BMMs. Immunoprecipitation studies also indicated that the adaptor proteins DAP12/FcR纬 and Syk interacted with RANK during RANKL stimulation in BMMs in a Fyn-dependent manner. Phosphorylation of the DAP12/FcR纬 and the recruitment of Syk by DAP12/FcR纬 were suppressed in Fyn鈭?鈭?/sup> BMMs. This is the first demonstration that Fyn relays the initial RANK/RANKL signal to the ITAM-containing adaptors DAP12/FcR纬 for OC differentiation.