Long lasting inhibition of Mdm2-p53 interaction potentiates mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts

The osteoblast generation from Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is tightly coordinated by transcriptional networks and signalling pathways that control gene expression and protein stability of osteogenic “master transcription factors”. Among these pathways, a great attention has been focused on p53 and its physiological negative regulator, the E3 ligase Murine double minute 2 (Mdm2). Nevertheless, the signalling that regulates Mdm2-p53 axis in osteoblasts remain to be elucidated, also considering that Mdm2 possesses numerous p53-independent activities and interacts with additional proteins. Herein, the effects of Mdm2 modulation on MSC differentiation were examined by the use of short- and long-lasting inhibitors of the Mdm2-p53 complex. The long-lasting Mdm2-p53 dissociation was demonstrated to enhance the MSC differentiation into osteoblasts. The increase of Mdm2 levels promoted its association to G protein-coupled receptors kinase (GRK) 2, one of the most relevant kinases involved in the desensitization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). In turn, the long-lasting Mdm2-p53 dissociation decreased GRK2 levels and favoured the functionality of A 2B Adenosine Receptors (A 2B ARs), a GPCR dictating MSC fate. EB148 facilitated cAMP accumulation, and mediated a sustained activation of extracellular signal–regulated kinases (ERKs) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). Such pro-osteogenic effects were not detectable by using the reversible Mdm2-p53 complex inhibitor, suggesting the time course of Mdm2-p53 dissociation may impact on intracellular proteins involved in cell differentiation fate. These results suggest that the long-lasting Mdm2 binding plays a key role in the mobilization of intracellular proteins that regulate the final biological outcome of MSCs.