Expression of thymosin beta-4 in human periodontal ligament cells and mouse periodontal tissue and its role in osteoblastic/cementoblastic differentiation

Tβ4 expression was observed in differentiating hPDLCs, osteoblasts of the periodontium during development, as well as in mature tissue. Higher Tβ4 expression was observed in hPDLCs than in cementoblasts and osteoblasts in the developing periodontium. The expression of Tβ4 mRNA and protein gradually increased during PDL cell differentiation. The downregulation of Tβ4 expression by Tβ4 siRNA transfection inhibited osteoblastic differentiation by decreasing calcium nodule formation, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and mRNA expression of differentiation markers in hPDLCs, cementoblasts, and osteoblasts. In contrast, Tβ4 activation using a Tβ4 peptide, promoted these processes by activation of Akt, p38, ERK MAPKs, and the NF-κB pathway. The expression of nuclear NFATc1 was upregulated by Tβ4 peptide in hPDLCs. Inhibition of the calcineurin/NFATc1 pathway by cyclosporin A and FK506, attenuated Tβ4-induced osteoblastic differentiation and activation of Wnt-related genes, as well as nuclear β-catenin in hPDLCs. In conclusion, this study demonstrates, for the first time, that Tβ4 is expressed in developing periodontal tissue and that its expression is associated with osteoblastic/cementoblastic differentiation. These results suggests that Tβ4 is a potential therapeutic target for periodontal regeneration or bone disease.