Mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is involved in anabolic metabolism in both osteoblasts and chondrocytes, but the role of mTORC1 in osteoclast biology in vivo remains to be elucidated. In this study, we showed that deletion of regulatory-associated protein of mTOR (Raptor) in osteoclasts led to an increase in bone mass with decreased bone resorption. Raptor-deficient bone marrow-derived macrophages exhibited lower mTORC1-S6K1 signaling and retarded osteoclast differentiation, as determined by the number of osteoclasts, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase activity, and expression of osteoclast-specific genes. Enforced expression of constitutively active S6K1 rescued the impaired osteoclast differentiation in Raptor-deficient bone marrow-derived macrophages. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1 signaling by rapamycin could also inhibit osteoclast differentiation and osteoclast-specific gene expression. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that mTORC1 plays a key role in the network of catabolic bone resorption in osteoclasts and may serve as a potential pharmacological target for the regulation of osteoclast activity in bone metabolic disorders.
Keywords: S6 kinase; bone; cell differentiation; mTOR complex (mTORC); osteoclast; osteoporosis.
© 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.