title: p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase affects transforming growth factor-beta/Smad signaling in human dental pulp cells.
abstract: Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-beta) plays an essential role in differentiation of dental pulp cells into odontoblasts during reparative dentine formation. However, the mechanism by which TGF-beta stimulates dental repair remains rather obscure. Human dental pulp cells were used as an in vitro model in the present work. We showed that TGF-beta signaled through mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), such as ERK1/2 and p38, along with Smad pathway. Distinct pathways exerted different time response. SB203580, a specific p38 MAPK inhibitor, reduced phosphorylation of Smad3, while it slightly enhanced phosphorylation of Smad2. Increased phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and p38 confirmed that SB203580 did not block activation of TGF-beta receptors. In addition, the inhibition of ERK1/2 activity with MEK1/2 inhibitor U0126 increased TGF-beta mediated phosphorylation of Smad3. Our results suggest that p38 affects the phosphorylation of Smad2 and Smad3 differentially during TGF-beta signaling in human dental pulp cells and ERK1/2 might be involved in the process.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Engineering Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Feng-Ming
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Xue-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D051899:Smad2 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D051900:Smad3 Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; C497782:SMAD2 protein, human; C497790:SMAD3 protein, human; D051899:Smad2 Protein; D051900:Smad3 Protein; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases