Differential contribution of osteoclast- and osteoblast-lineage cells to CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) modulation of osteoclastogenesis

CpG-ODNs modulate osteoclast differentiation through Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9). Using TLR9-deficient mice, we found that activation of TLR9 on both osteoclast precursors and osteoblasts mediate the osteoclastogenic effect of CpG-ODN. Osteoclastic TLR9 is more important for this activity. Introduction: Bacterial infections cause pathological bone loss by accelerating differentiation and activation of the osteoclast. A variety of bacteria-derived molecules have been shown to enhance osteoclast differentiation through activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We have shown that CpG-oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODNs), mimicking bacterial DNA and exerting their cellular activities through TLR9, modulate osteoclast differentiation in a complex manner: the ODNs inhibit the activity of the physiological osteoclast differentiation factor RANKL in early osteoclast precursors (OCPs) but markedly stimulate osteoclastogenesis in cells primed by RANKL. Materials and Methods: Osteoclast precursors and osteoblasts from TLR9-deficient (TLR9^-/-) and wildtype (TLR9^+/+) mice were used for in vitro analyses of osteoclast differentiation and modulation of signal transduction and gene expression. Results: As expected CpG-ODN did not exert any activity in cells derived from TLR9^-/-mice; these cells, however, responded in a normal manner to other stimuli. Using bone marrow/osteoblasts co-cultures from all possible combinations of TLR9^-/- and TLR9^+/+ mice-derived cells, we showed that TLR9 in the two lineages is required for CpG-ODN induction of osteoclastogenesis. Conclusions: CpG-ODN modulates osteoclastogenesis in a TLR9-dependent manner. Activation of TLR9 in bone marrow-derived osteoclasts precursors is more crucial to induction of osteoclastogenesis than activation of the osteoblastic TLR9.