| Bone homeostasis results from the delicate balance between bone formation, by osteoblasts, and bone resorption, by osteoclasts in a process termed remodeling which occurs throughout adult life. The tumor suppressor PTEN, which antagonizes the activity of PI3Kinase by dephosphorylating the D3 position of phosphatidyl inositol (3,4,5)P3, has been shown to be implicated in many of the same signaling pathways that are important in the differentiation and activation of both osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Very few studies have attempted to elucidate the role that PTEN may play in bone biology. Here we use a murine conditional knockout approach to specifically target PTEN ablation to osetoclasts, using a CD11b-Cre, and to osteoblasts, with the Col-1alpha(I)-Cre. Our results indicate that PTEN may be playing an essential in vivo role in cell survival of osteoclast precursors and regulating the ability of osteoblasts to support osteoclastogenesis as well as confirming its role in bone mass accumulation. |
