Caveolin-1 regulates P2X7 receptor signaling in osteoblasts

2014; doi:10.1152/ajpcell.00037.2014.—The synthesis of new bone in response to a novel applied mechanical load requires a complex series of cellular signaling events in osteoblasts and osteocytes. The activation of the purinergic receptor P2X7R is central to this mecha-notransduction signaling cascade. Recently, P2X7R have been found to be associated with caveolae, a subset of lipid microdomains found in several cell types. Deletion of caveolin-1 (CAV1), the primary protein constituent of caveolae in osteoblasts, results in increased bone mass, leading us to hypothesize that the P2X7R is scaffolded to caveolae in osteoblasts. Thus, upon activation of the P2X7R, we postulate that caveolae are endocytosed, thereby modulating the downstream signal. Sucrose gradient fractionation of MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts showed that CAV1 was translocated to the denser cytosolic fractions upon stimulation with ATP. Both ATP and the more specific P2X7R agonist 2=(3=)-O-(4-benzoylbenzoyl)AT