| First Author | Fata JE | Year | 2000 |
| Journal | Cell | Volume | 103 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 41-50 |
| PubMed ID | 11051546 | Mgi Jnum | J:64718 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1889907 | Doi | 10.1016/s0092-8674(00)00103-3 |
| Citation | Fata JE, et al. (2000) The osteoclast differentiation factor osteoprotegerin-ligand is essential for mammary gland development. Cell 103(1):41-50 |
| abstractText | Osteoprotegerin-ligand (OPGL) is a key osteoclast differentiation/activation factor essential for bone remodeling. We report that mice lacking OPGL or its receptor RANK fail to form lobulo-alveolar mammary structures during pregnancy, resulting in death of newborns. Transplantation and OPGL-rescue experiments in opgl-/- and rank-/- pregnant females showed that OPGL acts directly on RANK-expressing mammary epithelial cells. The effects of OPGL are autonomous to epithelial cells. The mammary gland defect in female opgl-/- mice is characterized by enhanced apoptosis and failures in proliferation and PKB activation in lobulo-alveolar buds that can be reversed by recombinant OPGL treatment. These data provide a novel paradigm in mammary gland development and an evolutionary rationale for hormonal regulation and gender bias of osteoporosis in females. |
