Bone sialoprotein (BSP) is a protein highly specific for bone, which contains an arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) cell attachment sequence involved in osteoclast adhesion to bone matrix via the vitronectin receptor. We have investigated its role in in vitro bone resorption using the well described isolated osteoclast resorption pit assay. BSP significantly stimulates bone resorption in a dose-dependent manner, increasing the overall resorbed area on ivory slices and the number of lacunae at concentrations as low as 50 nM. Neither recombinant osteopontin nor intact vitronectin has any effect on bone resorption, suggesting a specific effect of BSP. The stimulation of bone resorption induced by BSP could be partially explained by an increase in osteoclast adhesion to bone via its RGD sequence, and our results suggest another mechanism of action of BSP that might involve another region of the molecule, such as its acidic sequences. Although BSP stimulates bone resorption in a coculture system of bone marrow cells and osteoblastic cells, it dose dependently inhibits the formation of osteoclast-like cells at equivalent concentrations in this culture model. In conclusion, we provide evidence that BSP plays an important role in the bone resorption process and may regulate bone resorption as well as osteoclast formation.