TCIRG1

More than 60 mutations in the TCIRG1 gene have been identified in people with osteopetrosis. These mutations cause the most severe form of the disorder, autosomal recessive osteopetrosis (ARO).

Many TCIRG1 gene mutations change how the gene's instructions are used to make the a3 subunit of V-ATPase. Other mutations change single protein building blocks (amino acids) in the a3 subunit or lead to the production of an abnormally short version of the subunit. Studies suggest that most of the TCIRG1 gene mutations responsible for osteopetrosis eliminate the function of the a3 subunit.

Without the a3 subunit, V-ATPases cannot pump protons out of osteoclasts. As a result, the compartment between the ruffled border and the bone surface is not acidified, and bone cannot be broken down. When old bone is not broken down as new bone is formed, bones throughout the skeleton become unusually dense. The bones are also structurally abnormal, making them prone to fracture. These problems with bone remodeling underlie the major features of autosomal recessive osteopetrosis.

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