Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor κ B (RANK), also known as TRANCE Receptor, is a type I membrane protein

Membrane protein

A membrane protein is a protein molecule that is attached to, or associated with the membrane of a cell or an organelle. More than half of all proteins interact with membranes.-Function:...

 that is expressed on the surface of osteoclasts and is involved in their activation upon ligand binding. RANK is also expressed on dendritic cell

Dendritic cell

Dendritic cells are immune cells forming part of the mammalian immune system. Their main function is to process antigen material and present it on the surface to other cells of the immune system. That is, dendritic cells function as antigen-presenting cells...

s and facilitates immune signaling.

RANKL

RANKL

Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand , also known as tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 11 , TNF-related activation-induced cytokine , osteoprotegerin ligand , and osteoclast differentiation factor , is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TNFSF11 gene.RANKL is...

 (Receptor Activator for Nuclear Factor κ B Ligand) is found on the surface of stromal cell

Stromal cell

In cell biology, stromal cells are connective tissue cells of any organ, for example in the uterine mucosa , prostate, bone marrow, and the ovary. They are cells that support the function of the parenchymal cells of that organ...

s, osteoblast

Osteoblast

Osteoblasts are mononucleate cells that are responsible for bone formation; in essence, osteoblasts are specialized fibroblasts that in addition to fibroblastic products, express bone sialoprotein and osteocalcin.Osteoblasts produce a matrix of osteoid, which is composed mainly of Type I collagen...

s, and T cell

T cell

T cells or T lymphocytes belong to a group of white blood cells known as lymphocytes, and play a central role in cell-mediated immunity. They can be distinguished from other lymphocytes, such as B cells and natural killer cells , by the presence of a T cell receptor on the cell surface. They are...

s.

Interactions

RANK has been shown to interact

Protein-protein interaction

Protein–protein interactions occur when two or more proteins bind together, often to carry out their biological function. Many of the most important molecular processes in the cell such as DNA replication are carried out by large molecular machines that are built from a large number of protein...

 with TRAF6

TRAF6

TRAF6 is a TRAF human protein.-Interactions:TRAF6 has been shown to interact with SDCBP, IRAK2, IRAK1, MAP3K7IP2, MAP3K7IP1, TNFRSF13B, FHL2, CD40, IKBKG, RANK, HSPB2, UBE2N, SIGIRR, TAX1BP1, ASK1, PPP4C, TNFAIP3, Sequestosome 1, MAP3K7 and Ubiquitin C....

, TRAF5

TRAF5

TNF receptor-associated factor 5 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF5 gene.-Interactions:TRAF5 has been shown to interact with ASK1, TNFRSF13B, CD134, CD30, CD40, RANK and TNFRSF14.-Further reading:...

, TRAF1

TRAF1

TNF receptor-associated factor 1 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF1 gene.-Interactions:TRAF1 has been shown to interact with CD30, CFLAR, Baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 3, BIRC2, Caspase 8, HIVEP3, TNFAIP3, TRAF2, RANK and TRAF interacting protein.-Further reading:...

, TRAF2

TRAF2

TNF receptor-associated factor 2 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF2 gene.-Interactions:TRAF2 has been shown to interact with BCL10, CD30, CFLAR, IKK2, MAP3K7IP2, CD137, Caveolin 1, CD27, TNFRSF13B, TANK-binding kinase 1, TRAF1, CD40, UBE2N, MAP3K14, MAP4K2, CASP8AP2, HIVEP3,...

 and TRAF3

TRAF3

TNF receptor-associated factor 3 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the TRAF3 gene.-Interactions:TRAF3 has been shown to interact with CD30, CD27, Lymphotoxin beta receptor, Nucleoporin 62, CD40, TNFSF14, RANK, Caspase 3 and TANK....

.

Further reading