Publications by authors named "Megumi Shimada-Sugawara"

Rab27A regulates transport of lysosome-related organelles (LROs) and release of secretory granules in various types of cells. Here, we identified up-regulation of Rab27A during differentiation of osteoclasts (OCLs) from bone-marrow macrophages (BMMs), by DNA microarray analysis. Rab27A deficiency in OCLs, using small interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown in RAW-D cell line or BMMs derived from ashen mice, which display genetic defects in Rab27A expression, induced multinucleated and giant cells.

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Osteoclasts (OCLs) are multinucleated bone-resorbing cells that are differentiated by stimulation with receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor. We recently demonstrated that regulation of heme-oxygenase 1 (HO-1), a stress-induced cytoprotective enzyme, also functions in OCL differentiation. In this study, we investigated effects of fisetin, a natural bioactive flavonoid that has been reported to induce HO-1 expression, on the differentiation of macrophages into OCLs.

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The differentiation of osteoclasts is regulated by several essential cytokines, such as receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) and macrophage colony-stimulating factor. Recently, high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a chromatin protein, also has been identified as one of these osteoclast differentiation cytokines. However, the molecular mechanisms that control HMGB1 release from osteoclast precursor cells are not known.

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