protein_function: Receptor for TNFSF11,RANKL,TRANCE,OPGL; essential forRANKL-mediated osteoclastogenesis. Involved in the regulation ofinteractions between T-cells and dendritic cells..
Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor kappa B(RANK), also known as TRANCE Receptor, is a type I membrane protein that is expressed on the surface of osteoclasts and is involved in their activation upon ligand binding. RANK is a recently described TNF receptor family member, and its ligand, RANKL, promote survival of dendritic cells and differentiation of osteoclasts. RANK contains 383 amino acids in its intracellular domain(residues 234-616), which contain three putative TRAF-binding domains(termed I, II, and III). RANK interacts with various TRAFs through distinct motifs and activates NF-kappaB via a novel TRAF6 interaction motif, which then activates NIK, thus leading to NF-kappaB activation, whereas RANK most likely activates JNK through a TRAF2-interacting region in RANK.
