Connexin43-containing gap junctions potentiate extracellular Ca²⁺-induced odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells via Erk1/2.

Extracellular Ca(2+) can promote dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) expression and odontoblastic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Gap junctions mediated by connexin43 (Cx43) allow diffusion of small molecules (such as Ca(2+)) among cells to regulate cell-to-cell communications. However, it is unclear whether Cx43 is required for the Ca(2+)-induced cell differentiation. Here, we found that the influx of extracellular Ca(2+) through L-type Ca(2+) channels increases intracellular free Ca(2+) levels to promote DSPP expression. Cx43 overexpression potentiated the extracellular Ca(2+)-induced DSPP expression via Erk1/2. Flow cytometry analyses showed that Cx43 increased the percentage of p-Erk1/2 positive cells in response to Ca(2+), indicating that Cx43 in DPSCs possibly acts as a traditional gap junction channel, which permits the sharing of signals among coupled cells to make more DPSCs respond to Ca(2+). Furthermore, inhibition of Cx43 function and gap junction communication decreased Ca(2+)-induced the expression of DSPP, suggesting that cell-to-cell contacts are required for Cx43 to promote the Ca(2+)-induced cell differentiation. Similarly, the study performed on DPSCs cultured at low-density and high-density revealed that intercellular contacts are required to potentiate Erk1/2 activity and DSPP expression. In total, this study indicates that Cx43 increases Ca(2+)-induced DSPP expression and odontoblastic differentiation of DPSCs via Erk1/2 through gap junction-mediated cell-to-cell contacts.