The defective terminal differentiation of osteoclasts in mice homozygous for the mi allele of the microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) gene implies that MITF plays a critical role in regulating gene expression during osteoclast ontogeny. To begin addressing the role of this transcription factor in the osteoclast, target genes need to be identified.

The microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) regulates different target genes in several distinct cell types, including osteoclasts. The role of the closely related factors TFE3 and TFEC in MITF action was studied. The TFE3 and TFEC proteins were expressed in osteoclast-like cells, and both could be immunoprecipitated in a complex with MITF. In transient transfection assays, TFE3 and TFEC could collaborate with MITF to superactivate the tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) promoter, a target for MITF in osteoclasts. Although TFEC had been thought to act as a repressor, we could demonstrate that TFEC acted as a transactivator when fused to the gal4 DNA-binding domain in a yeast one-hybrid-type assay. Additionally, two mRNA isoforms of MITF, MITF-M and MITF-A, were detected in primary osteoclast-like cells by RT-PCR. In transient transfection assays, the MITF-A and MITF-M isoforms activated the promoter of the TRAP gene to the same extent, and both forms could collaborate equally well with TFE3 to activate the TRAP promoter. These results indicate that although different isoforms of MITF appear to be functionally similar, the TFE3 and TFEC proteins may collaborate with MITF to efficiently regulate expression of target genes in osteoclasts.

The microphthalmia transcription factor (MITF) regulates gene expression during differentiation of several distinct cell types, including osteoclasts. A structure/function analysis was performed to determine whether transcription activation domains were important for MITF action in osteoclasts. In addition to a previously characterized acidic activation necessary for melanocyte differentiation, the analysis defined a second potential activation domain located between amino acids 140 and 185. This second domain is required for MITF transactivation of two probable targets, the E-cadherin promoter and the tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase promoter, in transient transfection assays. An intact MITF gene rescued differentiation when introduced into osteoclasts derived from mi/mi mice using a retrovirus vector. In parallel experiments, an MITF gene lacking the acidic-activation domain rescued differentiation twofold less efficiently than wild type, and a gene lacking the region between amino acid residues 140 and 185 rescued differentiation tenfold less efficiently than wild type. The results indicate that the N-terminal region of MITF is necessary for activation of gene expression in osteoclasts and provides one mechanism by which this factor regulates distinct target genes in different cell types.