Abstract
Hypertrophy of chondrocytes is a crucial step in the endochondral bone formation process that drives bone lengthening and the transition to endochondral bone formation. Both Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) and Histone deacetylase 4 (HDAC4) inhibit chondrocyte hypertrophy. Use of multiple mouse genetics models reveals how PTHrP and HDAC4 participate in a pathway that regulates chondrocyte hypertrophy. PTHrP/cAMP/protein kinase A (PKA) signaling pathway phosphorylates the PKA-target sites on salt-inducible kinase 3 (Sik3), which leads to inhibition of Sik3 kinase activity. Inhibition of Sik3 kinase activity decreases phosphorylation of HDAC4 by Sik3 at binding sites for 14-3-3; lower levels of HDAC4 phosphorylation then allow HDAC4 nuclear translocation. In the nucleus, the transcription factor, Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (Mef2), activates Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and together these two transcription factors drive the hypertrophic process. HDAC4 binds both Mef2 and Runx2 and blocks their activities. There are genetic redundancies in this pathway. Sik1 and Sik2 also mediate PTHrP/cAMP/PKA signaling when Sik3 activity is low. HDAC5 also mediates PTHrP signaling when HDAC4 expression is low. Thus, PTHrP triggers a kinase cascade that leads to inhibition of the key transcription factors (Mef2 and Runx2) that promote chondrocyte hypertrophy.