Mouse RANKL

RANKL (receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand) is a member of the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) family, and it was originally identified as an immediate early gene up-regulated by T cell receptor stimulation. RANKL is composed of a type II transmembrane protein of 316 amino acids with a predicted cytoplasmic domain of 48 amino acids and an extracellular domain of 247 amino acids, and it is primarily expressed in T cells and T cell rich organs, such as thymus and lymph nodes. RANKL acts to induce activation of the c-jun N-terminal kinase, enhance T cell growth and dendritic cell function, stimulate osteoclastogenesis, and lymph node organogenesis. RANK has been shown to undergo receptor clustering during signal transduction (1-4).