Functional characterization of the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor in human periodontal ligament cells

Intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) exerts anabolic effects on bone and has been approved for osteoporosis therapy. The dual actions of PTH are mediated primarily through the parathyroid hormone 1 receptor (PTH1R). Upon ligand binding, PTH1R activates diverse signaling pathways, including cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA)- and phospholipase C/protein kinase C (PLC/PKC)-dependent pathways. PTH1R has been abundantly studied in bone cells. Knowledge on PTH1R characteristics and physiology in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells is still in its infancy.

We characterized PTH1R in PDL cells in terms of its cellular localization, binding affinity, and signal transduction and compared these characteristics to those of MG63 osteoblast-like cells.

PTH1R mRNA/protein was identified in PDL and MG63 cells. PTH1R was mainly localized on the plasma membrane, in vesicular structures inside the cell, and, to some extent, in the nucleus of both cell types. Binding characteristics of PTH1R were cell type specific, with PDL cells demonstrating a lower binding affinity. The response of cAMP and active PKC production in MG63 cells was dose dependent with increasing PTH(1-34) concentration, whereas in PDL cells, it was regulated biphasically. However, we observed a cross talk between the cAMP/PKA and PLC/PKC signaling pathways, which were regulated diametrically opposed at a given concentration of PTH(1-34).

These data indicate that, albeit the similarity in its subcellular distribution, PTH1R in PDL cells exhibits characteristics different from those in MG63 cells, pointing to the cell type specificity of this receptor.

The findings further elucidate the characteristics of PTH action in dental tissues and widen the theoretical basis for the development of anabolic treatment strategies.