Novel Pro-survival Functions of the Kruppel-like Transcription Factor Egr2 in Promotion of Macrophage Colony-stimulating Factor-mediated Osteoclast Survival Downstream of the MEK/ERK Pathway*
- ‡Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and the §Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905
- 1 To whom correspondence should be addressed: Endocrine Research Unit, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st St. SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Tel.: 507-255-0712; Fax: 507-255-4828; E-mail: oursler.merryjo{at}mayo.edu.
Abstract
Determining the underlying mechanisms of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF)-mediated osteoclast survival may be important in identifying novel approaches for treating excessive bone loss. This study investigates M-CSF-mediated MEK/ERK activation and identifies a downstream effector of this pathway. M-CSF activates MEK/ERK and induces MEK-dependent expression of the immediate early gene Egr2. Inhibition of either MEK1/2 or inhibition of Egr2 increases osteoclast apoptosis. In contrast, wild-type Egr2 or an Egr2 point mutant unable to bind the endogenous repressors Nab1/2 (caEgr2) suppresses basal osteoclast apoptosis and rescues osteoclasts from apoptosis induced by MEK1/2 or Egr2 inhibition. Mechanistically, Egr2 induces pro-survival Blc2 family member Mcl1 while stimulating proteasome-mediated degradation of pro-apoptotic Bim. In addition, Egr2 increased the expression of c-Cbl, the E3 ubiquitin ligase that catalyzes Bim ubiquitination. M-CSF, therefore, promotes osteoclast survival through MEK/ERK-dependent induction of Egr2 to control the Mcl1/Bim ratio, documenting a novel function of Egr2 in promoting survival.
Footnotes
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↵2 The abbreviations used are: M-CSF, macrophage colony-stimulating factor; RANKL, receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB ligand; MAP, mitogen-activated protein; ERK, extracellular signal-regulated kinase; MEK, MAP kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase; αMEM, α-minimum essential medium; RT, reverse transcription.
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↵* This work was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant R01 DE14680 and by the Mayo Foundation. The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
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- Received November 19, 2007.
- Revision received January 14, 2008.
- The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
