Osterix/Sp7, a member of the Sp1 transcription factor family, plays an essential role in bone formation and osteoblastogenesis. Although Osterix has been shown to be induced by BMP2 in a mesenchymal cell line, the molecular basis of the regulation, expression and function of Osterix during osteoblast differentiation, is not fully understood. Thus we examined the role of BMP2 signaling in the regulation of Osterix using the mesenchymal cell lines C3H10T1/2 and C2C12. Osterix overexpression induced alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin expression in C2C12 cells and stimulated calcification of murine primary osteoblasts. Considering that Runx2 overexpression induces Osterix, these results suggest that Osterix functions as downstream of Runx2. Surprisingly, BMP2 treatment induced Osterix expression and alkaline phosphatase activity in mesenchymal cells derived from Runx2-deficient mice. Furthermore, overexpression of Smad1 and Smad4 upregulated Osterix expression, and an inhibitory Smad, Smad6, markedly suppressed BMP2-induced Osterix expression in the Runx2-deficient cells. Moreover, overexpression of a homeobox gene, Msx2, which is up-regulated by BMP2 and promotes osteoblastic differentiation, induced Osterix expression in the Runx2-deficient cells. Knockdown of Msx2 clearly inhibited induction of Osterix by BMP2 in the Runx2-deficient mesenchymal cells. Interestingly, microarray analyses using the Runx2-deficient cells revealed that the role of Osterix was distinct from that of Runx2. These findings suggest that Osterix is regulated via both Runx2-dependent and -independent mechanisms, and that Osterix controls osteoblast differentiation, at least in part, by regulating the expression of genes not controlled by Runx2.Osteoblasts are differentiated from multipotent mesenchymal cells (1). This differentiation process is regulated by several cytokines, including bone morphogenetic proteins, transforming growth factor ␤, Wnt, and hedgehog (2-5). Among them, BMP2 (bone morphogenetic protein 2) is one of the most powerful cytokines that promote differentiation of mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts in vitro and induce bone formation in vivo (2). BMP2 exhibits this osteogenic action by activating Smad signaling and by regulating transcription of osteogenic genes such as ALP, type I collagen, osteocalcin, and bone sialoprotein (Bsp) 2 (6). Runt-related gene 2 (Runx2)/Core-binding factor 1 (Cbfa1), an essential transcription factor for osteoblast differentiation and bone formation (7) and responsible gene for cleidocranial dysplasia (8), directly regulates the expression of osteocalcin and Bsp (9). BMP2 is known to control the expression and functions of Runx2 through Smad signaling (10 -12). These findings have established the importance of the BMP2-SmadRunx2 axis in osteoblastogenesis.Osterix, an Sp1 transcription family member, is up-regulated by BMP2 during osteoblastic differentiation (13). Osterix has also been reported to inhibit chondrogenesis (14). Mice deficient in the Osterix gene show no bone formation...

IntroductionThe amount of bone remodeling is controlled by the balance between bone formation and bone resorption (1-3). Many osteopenic diseases, including osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Paget disease, and lytic bone metastases of malignancies are characterized by progressive and excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts, which are multinucleated giant cells that originate from hematopoietic cells (2). A TNF family member, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), which is expressed as a membrane-bound protein in osteoblasts and stromal cells, promotes the differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells into osteoclasts (4, 5). Gene-targeted mice deficient in RANKL expression show severe osteopetrosis with complete absence of osteoclast formation (5). These findings indicate that RANKL is an essential factor responsible for osteoclast differentiation.

Cathepsin K (CTSK) is secreted by osteoclasts to degrade collagen and other matrix proteins during bone resorption. Global deletion of Ctsk in mice decreases bone resorption, leading to osteopetrosis, but also increases the bone formation rate (BFR). To understand how Ctsk deletion increases the BFR, we generated osteoclast-and osteoblast-targeted Ctsk knockout mice using floxed Ctsk alleles. Targeted ablation of Ctsk in hematopoietic cells, or specifically in osteoclasts and cells of the monocyte-osteoclast lineage, resulted in increased bone volume and BFR as well as osteoclast and osteoblast numbers. In contrast, targeted deletion of Ctsk in osteoblasts had no effect on bone resorption or BFR, demonstrating that the increased BFR is osteoclast dependent. Deletion of Ctsk in osteoclasts increased their sphingosine kinase 1 (Sphk1) expression. Conditioned media from Ctsk-deficient osteoclasts, which contained elevated levels of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P), increased alkaline phosphatase and mineralized nodules in osteoblast cultures. An S1P 1,3 receptor antagonist inhibited these responses. Osteoblasts derived from mice with Ctsk-deficient osteoclasts had an increased RANKL/OPG ratio, providing a positive feedback loop that increased the number of osteoclasts. Our data provide genetic evidence that deletion of CTSK in osteoclasts enhances bone formation in vivo by increasing the generation of osteoclast-derived S1P.

Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) promotes the differentiation of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells into adipocytes. To investigate the molecular mechanisms that regulate this differentiation process, we studied the relationship between BMP2 signaling and peroxisome proliferator-activating receptor gamma (PPARgamma) during adipogenesis of mesenchymal cells by using pluripotent mesenchymal cell line C3H10T1/2. In C3H10T1/2 cells, BMP2 induced expression of PPARgamma along with adipogenesis. Overexpression of Smad6, a natural antagonist for Smad1, blocked PPARgamma expression and adipocytic differentiation induced by BMP2. Overexpression of dominant-negative PPARgamma also diminished adipocytic differentiation of C3H10T1/2 cells, suggesting the central role of PPARgamma in BMP2-induced adipocytic differentiation. Specific inhibitors for p38 kinase inhibited BMP2-induced adipocytic differentiation and transcriptional activation of PPARgamma, whereas overexpression of Smad6 had no effect on transcriptional activity of PPARgamma. Furthermore, activation of p38 kinase by overexpression of TAK1 and TAB1, without affecting PPARgamma expression, led the up-regulation of transcriptional activity of PPARgamma. These results suggest that both Smad and p38 kinase signaling are concomitantly activated and responsible for BMP2-induced adipocytic differentiation by inducing and up-regulating PPARgamma, respectively. Thus, BMP2 controls adipocytic differentiation by using two distinct signaling pathways that play differential roles in this process in C3H10T1/2 cells.

IntroductionThe amount of bone remodeling is controlled by the balance between bone formation and bone resorption (1-3). Many osteopenic diseases, including osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Paget disease, and lytic bone metastases of malignancies are characterized by progressive and excessive bone resorption by osteoclasts, which are multinucleated giant cells that originate from hematopoietic cells (2). A TNF family member, receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL), which is expressed as a membrane-bound protein in osteoblasts and stromal cells, promotes the differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells into osteoclasts (4, 5). Gene-targeted mice deficient in RANKL expression show severe osteopetrosis with complete absence of osteoclast formation (5). These findings indicate that RANKL is an essential factor responsible for osteoclast differentiation.