RANKL and RANK are members of the TNF superfamily of ligands and receptors that play an important role in the regulation of specific immunity and bone turnover. RANK (receptor) was originally identified as a dendritic-cell-membrane protein, which by interacting with RANKL augments the ability of dendritic cells to stimulate naïve T-cell proliferation in a mixed lymphocyte reaction, to promote the survival of RANK + T cells, and to regulate T-cell-dependent immune response. RANKL, which is expressed in a variety of cells including osteoblasts, fibroblasts, activated T-cells and bone marrow stromal cells, is also capable of interacting with a decoy receptor called OPG. Binding of soluble OPG to sRANKL inhibits osteoclastogenesis by interrupting the signaling between stromal cells and osteoclastic progenitor cells, thereby leading to excess accumulation of bone and cartilage. Recombinant murine sRANKL is a 19.4 kDa polypeptide comprising the TNF homologous region of RANKL (174 amino acid residues).

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