Abstract
Osteoclasts have a unique bone-destroying capacity, playing key roles in steady-state bone remodeling and arthritic bone erosion. Whether the osteoclasts in these different tissue settings arise from the same precursor states of monocytoid cells is presently unknown. Here, we show that osteoclasts in pannus originate exclusively from circulating bone marrow-derived cells and not from locally resident macrophages. We identify murine CX3CR1hiLy6CintF4/80+I-A+/I-E+ macrophages (termed here arthritis-associated osteoclastogenic macrophages (AtoMs)) as the osteoclast precursor-containing population in the inflamed synovium, comprising a subset distinct from conventional osteoclast precursors in homeostatic bone remodeling. Tamoxifen-inducible Foxm1 deletion suppressed the capacity of AtoMs to differentiate into osteoclasts in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, synovial samples from human patients with rheumatoid arthritis contained CX3CR1+HLA-DRhiCD11c+CD80−CD86+ cells that corresponded to mouse AtoMs, and human osteoclastogenesis was inhibited by the FoxM1 inhibitor thiostrepton, constituting a potential target for rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
New insights into inflammatory osteoclast precursors as therapeutic targets for rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis
Bone Research Open Access 22 May 2023
-
In vivo induction of activin A-producing alveolar macrophages supports the progression of lung cell carcinoma
Nature Communications Open Access 17 January 2023
-
Cytokines and cytokine receptors as targets of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases—RA as a role model
Inflammation and Regeneration Open Access 01 December 2022
Access options
Access Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journals
Get Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription
$29.99 / 30 days
cancel any time
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout








Data availability
The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Raw RNA-Seq data and single-cell RNA-Seq data related to this study are available from the Gene Expression Omnibus (accession numbers GSE117149 and GSM3712154, respectively).
Change history
24 January 2020
The caption for Source Data Extended Data Fig. 8 was given as “Gel source Data for Figure 6c”; it has been changed to “Gel source Data for Figure 7b.”
References
Pirzgalska, R. M. et al. Sympathetic neuron-associated macrophages contribute to obesity by importing and metabolizing norepinephrine. Nat. Med. 23, 1309–1318 (2017).
Okabe, Y. & Medzhitov, R. Tissue-specific signals control reversible program of localization and functional polarization of macrophages. Cell 157, 832–844 (2014).
Satoh, T. et al. Identification of an atypical monocyte and committed progenitor involved in fibrosis. Nature 541, 96–101 (2017).
Asano, K. et al. CD169-positive macrophages dominate antitumor immunity by crosspresenting dead cell-associated antigens. Immunity 34, 85–95 (2011).
Arai, F. et al. Commitment and differentiation of osteoclast precursor cells by the sequential expression of c-Fms and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB (RANK) receptors. J. Exp. Med. 190, 1741–1754 (2002).
Schett, G. & Gravallese, E. Bone erosion in rheumatoid arthritis: mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment. Nat. Rev. Rheumatol. 8, 656–664 (2012).
McInnes, I. The pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis. N. Engl. J. Med. 365, 2205–2219 (2011).
Charles, J. F. et al. Inflammatory arthritis increases mouse osteoclast precursors with myeloid suppressor function. J. Clin. Invest. 122, 4592–4605 (2012).
Seeling, M. et al. Inflammatory monocytes and Fc receptor IV on osteoclasts are critical for bone destruction during inflammatory arthritis in mice. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 110, 10729–10734 (2013).
Ibáñez, L. et al. Inflammatory osteoclasts prime TNFα-producing CD4+ T cells and express CX3CR1. J. Bone Miner. Res. 31, 1899–1908 (2016).
Werner, D. et al. Early changes of the cortical micro-channel system in the bare area of the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 69, 1580–1587 (2017).
Adamopoulos, I. E. & Mellins, E. D. Alternative pathways of osteoclastogenesis in inflammatory arthritis. Nat. Rev. Rheumatol. 11, 189–194 (2015).
Jacome-Galarza, C. E., Lee, S. K., Lorenzo, J. A. & Aguila, H. L. Identification, characterization, and isolation of a common progenitor for osteoclasts, macrophages, and dendritic cells from murine bone marrow and periphery. J. Bone Miner. Res. 28, 1203–1213 (2013).
Ishii, M. et al. Sphingosine-1-phosphate mobilizes osteoclast precursors and regulates bone homeostasis. Nature 458, 524–528 (2009).
Misharin, A. V. et al. Non-classical Ly6C− monocytes drive the development of inflammatory arthritis in mice. Cell Rep. 9, 591–604 (2014).
Geissmann, F., Jung, S. & Littman, D. R. Blood monocytes consist of two principal subsets with distinct migratory properties. Immunity 19, 71–82 (2003).
Yona, S. et al. Fate mapping reveals origins and dynamics of monocytes and tissue macrophages under homeostasis. Immunity 38, 79–91 (2013).
Yokota, K. et al. Combination of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-6 induces mouse osteoclast-like cells with bone resorption activity both in vitro and in vivo. Arthritis Rheumatol. 66, 121–129 (2014).
O’Brien, W. et al. RANK-independent osteoclast formation and bone erosion in inflammatory arthritis. Arthritis Rheumatol. 68, 2889–2900 (2016).
Lam, J. et al. TNF-α induces osteoclastogenesis by direct stimulation of macrophages exposed to permissive levels of RANK ligand. J. Clin. Invest. 106, 1481–1488 (2000).
Ochi, S. et al. Pathological role of osteoclast costimulation in arthritis-induced bone loss. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104, 11394–11399 (2007).
Tamura, T. et al. Soluble interleukin-6 receptor triggers osteoclast formation by interleukin 6. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 90, 11924–11928 (2006).
Murata, K. et al. Hypoxia-sensitive COMMD1 integrates signaling and cellular metabolism in human macrophages and suppresses osteoclastogenesis. Immunity 47, 66–79 (2017).
Lam, E. W.-F., Brosens, J. J., Gomes, A. R. & Koo, C.-Y. Forkhead box proteins: tuning forks for transcriptional harmony. Nat. Rev. Cancer 13, 482–495 (2013).
Wang, Z., Banerjee, S., Kong, D., Li, Y. & Sarkar, F. H. Down-regulation of forkhead box M1 transcription factor leads to the inhibition of invasion and angiogenesis of pancreatic cancer cells. Cancer Res. 67, 8293–8300 (2007).
Hegde, N. S., Sanders, D. A., Rodriguez, R. & Balasubramanian, S. The transcription factor FOXM1 is a cellular target of the natural product thiostrepton. Nat. Chem. 3, 725–731 (2011).
Halasi, M. & Gartel, A. L. A novel mode of FoxM1 regulation: positive auto-regulatory loop. Cell Cycle 8, 1966–1967 (2009).
Kwok, J. M.-M. et al. Thiostrepton selectively targets breast cancer cells through inhibition of forkhead box M1 expression. Mol. Cancer Ther. 7, 2022–2032 (2008).
Mbalaviele, G., Novack, D. V., Schett, G. & Teitelbaum, S. L. Inflammatory osteolysis: a conspiracy against bone. J. Clin. Invest. 127, 2030–2039 (2017).
Hasegawa, T., Kaneko, Y., Izumi, K. & Takeuchi, T. Efficacy of denosumab combined with bDMARDs on radiographic progression in rheumatoid arthritis. Joint Bone Spine 84, 379–380 (2017).
Campbell, I. K., Rich, M. J., Bischof, R. J. & Hamilton, J. A. The colony-stimulating factors and collagen-induced arthritis: exacerbation of disease by M-CSF and G-CSF and requirement for endogenous M-CSF. J. Leukoc. Biol. 68, 144–150 (2000).
Ando, W. et al. Imatinib mesylate inhibits osteoclastogenesis and joint destruction in rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). J. Bone Miner. Metab. 24, 274–282 (2006).
Hamilton, J. A. Colony-stimulating factors in inflammation and autoimmunity. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 8, 533–544 (2008).
Campbell, I. K., Ianches, G. & Hamilton, J. A. Production of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) by human articular cartilage and chondrocytes. Modulation by interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor α. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1182, 57–63 (1993).
Nakano, K. et al. Rheumatoid synovial endothelial cells produce macrophage colony-stimulating factor leading to osteoclastogenesis in rheumatoid arthritis. Rheumatology 46, 597–603 (2007).
Hutamekalin, P. et al. Collagen antibody-induced arthritis in mice: development of a new arthritogenic 5-clone cocktail of monoclonal anti-type II collagen antibodies. J. Immunol. Methods 343, 49–55 (2009).
Šućur, A. et al. Induction of osteoclast progenitors in inflammatory conditions: key to bone destruction in arthritis. Int. Orthop. 38, 1893–1903 (2014).
Wakkach, A. et al. Bone marrow microenvironment controls the in vivo differentiation of murine dendritic cells into osteoclasts. Blood 112, 5074–5083 (2008).
Rivollier, A. et al. Immature dendritic cell transdifferentiation into osteoclasts: a novel pathway sustained by the rheumatoid arthritis microenvironment. Blood 104, 4029–4037 (2004).
De Luca, A. et al. Mitochondrial biogenesis is required for the anchorage-independent survival and propagation of stem-like cancer cells. Oncotarget 6, 14777–14795 (2015).
Ishii, K. A. et al. Coordination of PGC-1β and iron uptake in mitochondrial biogenesis and osteoclast activation. Nat. Med. 15, 259–266 (2009).
Ruth, J. H. et al. Fractalkine, a novel chemokine in rheumatoid arthritis and in rat adjuvant-induced arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 44, 1568–1581 (2001).
Blaschke, S. et al. Proinflammatory role of fractalkine (CX3CL1) in rheumatoid arthritis. J. Rheumatol. 30, 1918–1927 (2003).
Nanki, T., Imai, T. & Kawai, S. Fractalkine/CX3CL1 in rheumatoid arthritis. Mod. Rheumatol. 27, 392–397 (2017).
Tanaka, Y. et al. Safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of E6011, an antifractalkine monoclonal antibody, in a first-in-patient phase 1/2 study on rheumatoid arthritis. Mod. Rheumatol. 28, 58–65 (2018).
Jung, S. et al. Analysis of fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 function by targeted deletion and green fluorescent protein reporter gene insertion. Mol. Cell. Biol. 20, 4106–4114 (2000).
Kikuta, J. et al. Dynamic visualization of RANKL and Th17-mediated osteoclast function. J. Clin. Invest. 123, 866–873 (2013).
Takeda, K. et al. Enhanced Th1 activity and development of chronic enterocolitis in mice devoid of Stat3 in macrophages and neutrophils. Immunity 10, 39–49 (1999).
Brand, D. D., Latham, K. A. & Rosloniec, E. F. Collagen-induced arthritis. Nat. Protoc. 2, 1269–1275 (2007).
Kamran, P. et al. Parabiosis in mice: a detailed protocol. J. Vis. Exp. 6, e50556 (2013).
Kawamoto, T. Use of a new adhesive film for the preparation of multi-purpose fresh-frozen sections from hard tissues, whole-animals, insects and plants. Arch. Histol. Cytol. 66, 123–143 (2003).
Ishii, M., Kikuta, J., Shimazu, Y., Meier-Schellersheim, M. & Germain, R. N. Chemorepulsion by blood S1P regulates osteoclast precursor mobilization and bone remodeling in vivo. J. Exp. Med. 207, 2793–2798 (2010).
Acknowledgements
We thank R. N. Germain (NIAID/NIH, USA) for critically reviewing this manuscript. This work was supported by CREST at the Japan Science and Technology Agency (J170701506 to M. I.), Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (19H056570 to M.I.), a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (15H056710 to J.K.), and grants from the Uehara Memorial Foundation (to M.I.), Kanae Foundation for the Promotion of Medical Sciences (to M.I.), Mochida Memorial Foundation (to M.I.), Takeda Science Foundation (to M.I.) and PRIME at the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (19gm6210005h to J.K.).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
T.H. and M.I. conceived the study. T.H. and J.K. designed the experiments. T.S., Y.M., S.S., T.M., K.Y. and T.T. discussed the experiments and results. K.E. and M.H. provided the samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Y.Y., A.H. and V.V.K. provided the Foxm1fl/fl mouse line. A.H. provided the RosaERT2Cre mouse line. D.O. performed the RNA-Seq analysis and single-cell RNA-Seq analysis. T.H. wrote the initial draft. J.K. and M.I. revised the final draft.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Peer review information Zoltan Fehervari was the primary editor on this article and managed its editorial process and peer review in collaboration with the rest of the editorial team.
Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary information
Supplementary Information
Supplementary Figs. 1–8 and Tables 1 and 2
41590_2019_526_MOESM3_ESM.mov
Supplementary Video 1 Ex vivo incubation of inflamed synovium from double-transgenic mice (CX3CR1-EGFP and TRAP-tdTomato).
Source data
Source Data Fig. 1
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Fig. 2
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Fig. 3
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Fig. 4
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Fig. 5
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Fig. 6
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Fig. 7
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Fig. 8
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 1
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 2
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 3
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 4
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 5
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 6
Statistical Source Data
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 7
Gel source Data for Figure 6c
Source Data Extended Data Fig. 8
Gel source Data for Figure 7b
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hasegawa, T., Kikuta, J., Sudo, T. et al. Identification of a novel arthritis-associated osteoclast precursor macrophage regulated by FoxM1. Nat Immunol 20, 1631–1643 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-019-0526-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41590-019-0526-7
This article is cited by
-
In vivo induction of activin A-producing alveolar macrophages supports the progression of lung cell carcinoma
Nature Communications (2023)
-
New insights into inflammatory osteoclast precursors as therapeutic targets for rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis
Bone Research (2023)
-
Serum cytokines and bone metabolic markers in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with biological disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs
Clinical Rheumatology (2023)
-
Glipizide Alleviates Periodontitis Pathogenicity via Inhibition of Angiogenesis, Osteoclastogenesis and M1/M2 Macrophage Ratio in Periodontal Tissue
Inflammation (2023)
-
Cytokines and cytokine receptors as targets of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases—RA as a role model
Inflammation and Regeneration (2022)