title: Calcium-mediated stress kinase activation by DMP1 promotes osteoblast differentiation.
abstract: Calcium signaling and calcium transport play a key role during osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. Here, we demonstrate that DMP1 mediated calcium signaling, and its downstream effectors play an essential role in the differentiation of preosteoblasts to fully functional osteoblasts. DMP1, a key regulatory bone matrix protein, can be endocytosed by preosteoblasts, triggering a rise in cytosolic levels of calcium that initiates a series of downstream events leading to cellular stress. These events include release of store-operated calcium that facilitates the activation of stress-induced p38 MAPK leading to osteoblast differentiation. However, chelation of intracellular calcium and inhibition of the p38 signaling pathway by specific pharmacological inhibitors and dominant negative plasmid suppressed this activation. Interestingly, activated p38 MAPK can translocate to the nucleus to phosphorylate transcription factors that coordinate the expression of downstream target genes such as Runx 2, a key modulator of osteoblast differentiation. These studies suggest a novel paradigm by which DMP1-mediated release of intracellular calcium activates p38 MAPK signaling cascade to regulate gene expression and osteoblast differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Brodie Tooth Development Genetics and Regenerative Medicine Research Laboratory, University of Illinois, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
authors.forename: Asha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eapen
authors.forename: Premanand
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sundivakkam
authors.forename: Yiqiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Sriram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ravindran
authors.forename: Amsaveni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramachandran
authors.forename: Chinnaswammy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tiruppathi
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016023:Integrins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012886:Skull / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C513308:Dmp1 protein, mouse; D000091342:Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D016023:Integrins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D002118:Calcium