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Updated: Dec 24, 2025

Induction and Analysis of Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
Published on: August 27, 2013
EphB4/ TNFR2/ERK/MAPK signaling pathway comprises a signaling axis to mediate the positive effect of TNF-α on
Yu Zhang1,2, Chengzhe Yang3, Shaohua Ge1,2
1Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Tissue Regeneration, Department of Endodontics, School of Stomatology, Shandong University, No. 44-1 Wenhua Road West, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
Background:
Low concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and its receptor TNFR2 are both reported to promote osteogenic differentiation of osteoblast precursor cells. Moreover, low concentrations of TNF-α up-regulate the expression of EphB4. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying TNF-α-induced osteogenic differentiation and the roles of TNFR2 and EphB4 have not been fully elucidated.
Results:
The ALP activity, as well as the mRNA and protein levels of RUNX2, BSP, EphB4 and TNFR2, was significantly elevated in MC3T3-E1 murine osteoblast precursor cells when stimulated with 0.5 ng/ml TNF-α. After TNFR2 was inhibited by gene knockdown with lentivirus-mediated shRNA interference or by a neutralizing antibody against TNFR2, the pro-osteogenic effect of TNF-α was partly reversed, while the up-regulation of EphB4 by TNF-α remained unchanged. With EphB4 forward signaling suppressed by a potent inhibitor of EphB4 auto-phosphorylation, NVP-BHG712, TNF-α-enhanced expressions of TNFR2, BSP and Runx2 were significantly decreased. Further investigation into the signaling pathways revealed that TNF-α significantly increased levels of p-JNK, p-ERK and p-p38. However, only the p-ERK level was significantly inhibited in TNFR2-knockdown cells. In addition, the ERK pathway inhibitor, U0126 (10 μM), significantly reversed the positive effect of TNF-α on the protein levels of RUNX2 and BSP.
Conclusions:
The EphB4, TNFR2 and ERK/MAPK signaling pathway comprises a signaling axis to mediate the positive effect of TNF-α on osteogenic differentiation.
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