Molecular backgrounds of age-related osteoporosis from mouse genetics approaches

Rev Endocr Metab Disord. 2006 Jun;7(1-2):17-22. doi: 10.1007/s11154-006-9011-3.

Abstract

Backgrounds underlying age-related bone loss can be classified into two categories: systemic abnormality and osteoblast dysfunction. The former includes insufficiency of vitamin D or estrogen, causing a negative balance of calcium metabolism. We propose the contribution of an aging-suppressing gene, klotho, as a novel systemic factor, as a mouse deficient in the klotho gene exhibits multiple aging phenotypes including osteopenia with a low bone turnover. As a factor intrinsic to osteoblasts, we investigated the role of PPARgamma, a key regulator of adipocyte differentiation, based on the facts that osteoblasts and adipocytes share a common progenitor. Heterozygous PPARgamma-deficient mice exhibited high bone mass by stimulating osteoblastogenesis from bone marrow progenitors, and this effect became prominent with aging, indicating involvement of PPARgamma-dependent bone formation in the pathophysiology of age-related bone loss. The local environment of osteoblasts is mainly controlled by cytokines/growth factors, among which insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is the most possible candidate whose production and activity are decreased with aging. Bone phenotypes of deficient mice of insulin receptor substrates (IRS-1 and IRS-2), essential molecules for intracellular signaling of IGF-I, revealed that IRS-1 is essential to maintain bone turnover by up-regulating anabolic and catabolic functions of osteoblasts, while IRS-2 is needed to keep the predominance of the anabolic function over the catabolic function. A next task ahead of us will be to elucidate the network system of these factors underlying age-related osteoporosis.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Glucuronidase / genetics
  • Glucuronidase / physiology
  • Klotho Proteins
  • Mice*
  • Models, Biological
  • Osteoporosis / genetics*
  • PPAR gamma / genetics
  • PPAR gamma / physiology
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / physiology
  • Receptor, Insulin
  • Signal Transduction

Substances

  • PPAR gamma
  • Receptor, Insulin
  • Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • insulin receptor serine kinase
  • Glucuronidase
  • Klotho Proteins