Evidence that c-src is involved in the process of osteoclastic bone resorption

Transgenic mice lacking a functional c-src gene have osteopetrosis, a bone disorder characterized by defective osteoclast function. We have investigated the effects of selective protein tyrosine kinase inhibitors that are known to inhibit c-src, on osteoclast activity in the bone slice assay. Geldanamycin, herbimycin A and monorden (0.001-10 microM) all dose-dependently inhibited bone resorption with IC50 values of 8, 70 and 86 nM, respectively. At concentrations of 0.001-1 microM, the compounds were not cytotoxic as judged by osteoclast morphology and survival on bone slices. In order to determine whether c-src plays a role in signal transduction associated with osteoclast activation prior to bone resorption commencing, or in the resorptive process itself, we performed kinetic experiments using human Calcitonin as a positive control. Calcitonin inhibited all bone resorption subsequent to its addition at t = 0, 3 or 6 hr (100%, approximately 90% and approximately 50% inhibition, respectively), after the start of the 24 hr bone slice assay. Similar results were obtained with herbimycin A and geldanamycin (1 microM) added at t = 0, 3 or 6 hr, and with monorden (1 microM) added at t = 0 and 6 hr. These results indicate that c-src plays a crucial and continuous role in the process of osteoclastic bone resorption, most likely related to the translocation and/or fusion of exocytic vesicles to the ruffled border membrane.