RelB Antibody

RelB (v-rel reticuloendotheliosis viral oncogene homolog B) is also known as IREL. By RT-PCR and immunocytochemical analyses, Clark et al. (1999) showed that protein expression correlated with dendritic cell activation. NF-kappa-B-inducing kinase is required for osteoclastogenesis in response to pathologic stimuli. Vaira et al. (2008) found that overexpression of RelB, but not RelA, rescued differentiation of mouse Nik -/- osteoclast precursors, indicating that blockade of the alternative NF-kappa-B pathway, rather than the classic pathway, is responsible for the osteoclastogenic defect in the absence of Nik. Using RelB -/- mice, they showed that the protein itself was required for RankL-induced osteoclastogenesis in vitro and for TNF-induced bone resorption in vivo. Both RelB -/- and Nik -/- mice were resistant to tumor-mediated osteolysis. Vaira et al. (2008) concluded that the alternative NF-kappa-B pathway, via RelB, plays an essential and unique role in RankL signaling toward osteoclast development.