• Purity

  >85%, by SDS-PAGE visualized with Silver Staining and quantitative densitometry by Coomassie® Blue Staining.

• Endotoxin Level

  <0.10 EU per 1 μg of the protein by the LAL method.  

• Activity

  Measured by its ability to induce osteoclast differentiation of RAW 264.7 mouse monocyte/macrophage cells. The ED    ₅₀ for this effect is 2.5-15 ng/mL.

• Source

  Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line, CHO-derived Arg72-Asp318, with an N-terminal 6-His tag

• Accession #

• N-terminal Sequence    
  Analysis

  His

• Predicted Molecular Mass

  29 kDa

• SDS-PAGE

  33-38 kDa, reducing conditions

Carrier Free

What does CF mean?

CF stands for Carrier Free (CF). We typically add Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as a carrier protein to our recombinant proteins. Adding a carrier protein enhances protein stability, increases shelf-life, and allows the recombinant protein to be stored at a more dilute concentration. The carrier free version does not contain BSA.

What formulation is right for me?

In general, we advise purchasing the recombinant protein with BSA for use in cell or tissue culture, or as an ELISA standard. In contrast, the carrier free protein is recommended for applications, in which the presence of BSA could interfere.

Data Images

Background: TRANCE/TNFSF11/RANK L

RANK L (receptor activator of NF-kappa B ligand), also called TRANCE (TNF-related activation-induced cytokines), OPGL (osteoprotegerin ligand), or ODF (osteoclast differentiation factor), is a 39-45 kDa type II transmembrane (TM) protein in the tumor necrosis factor family, designated TNFSF11 (1-5). RANK L, produced by osteoblasts and bone marrow stromal cells, is required for differentiation of osteoclasts and stimulates bone resorption (4, 6). It is also produced by activated T cells and augments dendritic cell stimulation; RANK L  ^-/- mice lack lymph nodes and have impaired thymocyte development (1-3, 6). The rat RANK Ligand cDNA encodes a type II transmembrane protein of 318 amino acids with a predicted cytoplasmic domain of 47 amino acids, a 21 amino acids transmembrane region, and an extracellular domain of 250 amino acids. The extracellular domain contains two potential N-linked glycosylation sites. Rat and human RANK Ligand and rat and mouse RANK Ligand share 83% and 95% amino acid identity respectively. RANK L can stimulate human osteoclast differentiation (4). Like most TNF family members, RANK L can form trimers (1). Soluble 31, 25 and 24 kDa forms of RANK L can be created by usage of alternate start sites at aa 74 or 146, or proteolytic cleavage by osteoblast- or stromal cell-derived ADAM10 (after aa 139) or MMP14 (aa 146), or bone metastatic prostate tumor-derived MT1-MMP (aa 146) (5, 7, 8). Both TM and soluble extracellular RANK L act by engaging RANK receptors and are antagonized by the decoy receptor, OPG (osteoprotegrin) (2, 5). In resting cells, the majority of RANK L is stored in secretory lysosomes (9). In mammary epithelia, RANK L is up-regulated by pregnancy hormones and is essential for the formation of a lactating mammary gland (10). In the brain, astrocyte RANK L mediates body temperature regulation (11). Pathologically, RANK L is thought to mediate post-menopausal osteoporosis, vascular calcification, progestin-induced breast cancer, cancer-induced bone disease, and osteopetrosis (in RANK L deficiencies) (12-16).

• References:

1. Leibbrandt, A. and J.M. Penninger 2008) Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1143:123.

2. Wong, B.R. et al. (1997) J. Biol. Chem. 272:25190.

3. Anderson, D.M. et al. (1997) Nature 390:175.

4. Lacey, D.L. et al. (1998) Cell 93:165.

5. Hikita, A. et al. (2006) J. Biol. Chem. 281:36846.

6. Kong, Y-Y. et al. (1999) Nature 397:315.

7. Accession # NP_143026 and EAX08679.

8. Sabbota, A.L. et al. (2010) Cancer Res. 70:5558.

9. Aoki, S. et al. (2010) J. Bone Miner. Res. 25:1907.

10. Fata, J.E. et al. (2000) Cell 103:41.

11. Hanada, R. et al. (2009) Nature 462:505.

12. Osako, M.K. et al. (2010) Circ. Res. 107:466.

13. Schramek, D. et al. (2010) Nature 468:98.

14. Gonzalez-Suarez, E. et al. (2010) Nature 468:103.

15. Dougall, W.C. and M. Chaisson (2006) Cancer Metastasis Rev. 25:541.

16. Sobacchi, C. et al. (2007) Nat. Genet. 39:960.

• Long Name:

  TNF-related Activation-induced Cytokine

• Entrez Gene IDs:

  8600 (Human); 21943 (Mouse); 117516 (Rat)

• Alternate Names:

  CD254 antigen; CD254; ODF; OPGL; OPGLOPTB2; Osteoclast differentiation factor; Osteoprotegerin ligand; RANK L; RANKL; RANKLreceptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand; Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand; sOdf; TNF-related activation-induced cytokine; TNFSF11; TRANCE; TRANCEODFhRANKL2; tumor necrosis factor (ligand) superfamily, member 11; tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 11