Identification of Alternatively Spliced Forms of human OSCAR in Osteoclasts

= Abstract = Objectives: Osteoclasts are multinucleated giant cells which can resorb bone and differentiated from hematopoietic cells. We have previously reported murine osteoclast-associated receptor (OSCAR) may be an important bone-specific regulator of osteoclast differentiation. We have cloned soluble form of human OSCAR (hOSCAR) and examined the role of hOSCAR on osteoclast differentiation. Methods: Osteoclast differentiation was induced by treatment with macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and pit formation were performed. Expression was measured by flow cytometry analysis, Northern and Western blot analysis. Results: hOSCAR is expressed in osteoclast cells and involved in the differentiation of osteoclasts from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Two alternatively spliced forms (soluble hOSCAR (hOSCAR-S)) of hOSCAR were identified from osteoclasts complementary deoxyribonucleic acid (cDNA) library derived from PBMC. Putative transmembrane domain was not found in hOSCAR-S forms and it suggested that these forms might be secreted from osteoclast cells. These secreted forms of hOSCAR attenuated RANKL-induced osteoclast formation and bone resorption. Conclusions: Human osteoclasts express at least five different OSCAR messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) isoforms which could play different regulatory roles for differentiation. The secreted forms of hOSCAR might be a negative regulator of membrane-bounded forms of OSCAR.