The effect of estradiol during the early stages of osteoclast differentiation is associated with the accumulation of phosphorylated p53 in mitochondria and the inhibition of mitochondrial metabolism.

Estrogen deficiency increases bone resorption and is a major contributor to osteoporosis. However, the molecular mechanisms mediating the effects of estrogen on osteoclasts remain unclear. This study aimed at elucidating the early metabolic effects of RANKL - the essential cytokine for osteoclastogenesis - and 17-beta-estradiol (E2) on osteoclast progenitor cells, using RAW 264.7 macrophage cell line and bone marrow-derived macrophages as biological models. RANKL stimulated complex I activity, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), and mitochondria-derived ATP production, as early as 3 to 6 h. This up-regulation of mitochondrial bioenergetics was associated with an increased capacity to oxidize TCA cycle substrates, fatty acids, and amino-acids. E2 inhibited all effects of RANKL on mitochondria metabolism. In the presence of RANKL, E2 also decreased cell number and stimulated the mitochondrial-mediated apoptotic pathway, detected as early as 3h. Surprisingly, the pro-apoptotic effects of E2 were associated with an accumulation of p392S-p53 in mitochondria. These findings elucidate early effects of RANKL on osteoclast progenitor metabolism and suggest novel p53-mediated mechanisms that contribute to postmenopausal osteoporosis.