Hypoxia-inducible factor-2α mediates senescence-associated intrinsic mechanisms of age-related bone loss

Exp Mol Med. 2021 Apr;53(4):591-604. doi: 10.1038/s12276-021-00594-y. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Abstract

Aging is associated with cellular senescence followed by bone loss leading to bone fragility in humans. However, the regulators associated with cellular senescence in aged bones need to be identified. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-2α regulates bone remodeling via the differentiation of osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Here, we report that HIF-2α expression was highly upregulated in aged bones. HIF-2α depletion in male mice reversed age-induced bone loss, as evidenced by an increase in the number of osteoblasts and a decrease in the number of osteoclasts. In an in vitro model of doxorubicin-mediated senescence, the expression of Hif-2α and p21, a senescence marker gene, was enhanced, and osteoblastic differentiation of primary mouse calvarial preosteoblast cells was inhibited. Inhibition of senescence-induced upregulation of HIF-2α expression during matrix maturation, but not during the proliferation stage of osteoblast differentiation, reversed the age-related decrease in Runx2 and Ocn expression. However, HIF-2α knockdown did not affect p21 expression or senescence progression, indicating that HIF-2α expression upregulation in senescent osteoblasts may be a result of aging rather than a cause of cellular senescence. Osteoclasts are known to induce a senescent phenotype during in vitro osteoclastogenesis. Consistent with increased HIF-2α expression, the expression of p16 and p21 was upregulated during osteoclastogenesis of bone marrow macrophages. ChIP following overexpression or knockdown of HIF-2α using adenovirus revealed that p16 and p21 are direct targets of HIF-2α in osteoclasts. Osteoblast-specific (Hif-2αfl/fl;Col1a1-Cre) or osteoclast-specific (Hif-2αfl/fl;Ctsk-Cre) conditional knockout of HIF-2α in male mice reversed age-related bone loss. Collectively, our results suggest that HIF-2α acts as a senescence-related intrinsic factor in age-related dysfunction of bone homeostasis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / genetics*
  • Aging / metabolism*
  • Animals
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Biomarkers
  • Bone Density
  • Bone Remodeling
  • Bone and Bones / diagnostic imaging
  • Bone and Bones / metabolism
  • Bone and Bones / pathology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Disease Susceptibility*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Osteoblasts / metabolism
  • Osteoporosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Osteoporosis / etiology*
  • Osteoporosis / metabolism*
  • Osteoporosis / pathology
  • X-Ray Microtomography

Substances

  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • Biomarkers
  • endothelial PAS domain-containing protein 1