Osteoblasts express the PMCA1b isoform of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase.

We report here that osteoblasts and osteoblast-like osteosarcoma cells express PMCA1b, an alternatively spliced transcript of plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase. Synthetic oligonucleotide pairs were designed based upon unique regions of the cDNA encoding known PMCA isoforms (PMCA1-3) and used as primers in PCR-mediated amplification of cDNA synthesized from ROS 17/2.8 osteosarcoma cell RNA. A product was observed only when PMCA1-specific primers were present; no products were seen with PMCA2 or PMCA3 primers unless cDNA synthesized from rat brain RNA was present. Examination of the cDNA encoding the C terminus of PMCA1 from ROS 17/2.8 cells revealed that the mRNA is spliced to yield the PMCA1b isoform, a Ca(2+)-ATPase containing a consensus phosphorylation site for cAMP-dependent protein kinase A and a modified calmodulin binding domain. PMCA1b was also detected in UMR-106-01 osteosarcoma cells and unpassaged primary rat calvarial osteoblasts. These results suggest that the regulation of osteoblast function by agents that act via cAMP-mediated pathways may involve alterations in the activity of the plasma membrane Ca(2+)-ATPase.