Endogenous BMPR-IB signaling is required for early osteoblast differentiation of human bone cells

Osteoblast differentiation is tightly regulated by a number of cytokines and growth factors, including bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) which stimulate osteoblast differentiation by signal transduction via three BMP receptors (BMPR-IA, -IB and -II). Although the mechanisms which regulate osteoblast differentiation are not fully understood, it is possible that endogenous BMPR signaling could play an important part in this process. To test this hypothesis, we have examined the expression and the functional significance of BMPR during osteoblast differentiation of primary human bone cells. The results showed that although the expression of BMPR-IA and -II transcripts were constantly expressed while the bone cells underwent osteoblast differentiation, the level of BMPR-IB mRNA was transiently, but significantly, up-regulated by threefold on day 3. This increase in BMPR-IB expression was found to be associated with the significant up-regulation of core binding factor alpha 1 (Cbfa1) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) transcripts as well as the ALP activity, the well-established early markers of osteoblast differentiation. Transfection of bone cells with BMPR-IB small interfering RNA (siRNA) was found to significantly ablate the expression of BMPR-IB which subsequently resulted in reduction of Cbfa1 and ALP mRNA as well as the ALP activity. Moreover, exogenously added BMP-2 failed to rescue osteoblast differentiation of BMPR-IB siRNA-transfected bone cells. In conclusion, the present study has shown that endogenous BMPR-IB signaling is required for early phase of osteoblast differentiation of human bone cells in vitro, suggesting that BMPR-IB could be a therapeutic target for initiating bone healing in vivo.