Signaling pathways involved in mechanical stimulation and ECM geometry in bone cells

The proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts are influenced by mechanical and geometrical growth environments. A specific aim of my thesis was the elucidation of signaling pathways involved in mechanical stimulation and geometric alterations of the extracellular matrix (ECM). A pair of questions addressed herein was (a) Does mechanical stimulation modulate translational regulation through the phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α)? (b) Do geometric alterations affect the phosphorylation patterns of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling? My hypothesis was mechanical stress enhances the proliferation and survival of osteoblasts through the reduction in phosphorylation of eIF2α, while 3-dimensional (3D) ECM stimulates differentiation of osteoblasts through the elevation of phosphorylation of p38 MAPK. First, mechanical stimulation reduced the phosphorylation of eIF2α. Furthermore, flow pre-treatment reduced thapsigargin-induced cell mortality through suppression of phosphorylation of protein kinase RNA-like ER kinase (Perk). However, H2O2-driven cell mortality, which is not mediated by Perk, was not suppressed by mechanical stimulation. Second, in the ECM geometry study, the expression of the active (phosphorylated) form of p130Cas, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) was reduced in cells grown in the 3D matrix. Conversely, phosphorylation of p38 MAPK was elevated in the 3D matrix and its up-regulation was linked to an increase in mRNA levels of dentin matrix protein 1 and bone sialoprotein. In summary, our observations suggest the pro-survival role of mechanical stimulation and the modulation of osteoblastic fates by ECM geometry