Enhancement by HSP90 inhibitor of PGD2-stimulated HSP27 induction in osteoblasts: Suppression of SAPK/JNK and p38 MAP kinase

Heat shock protein (HSP) 90 that is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues is a major molecular chaperone. We have previously demonstrated that prostaglandin D-2 (PGD(2)), a bone remodeling factor, elicits the expression of HSP27, a small HSP, through stress-activated protein kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase (SAPK/JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase in osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells. In the present study, we investigated the involvement of HSP90 in the PGD(2)-stimulated HSP27 induction and the underlying mechanism in MC3T3-E1 cells. Onalespib, an inhibitor of HSP90, significantly enhanced the PGD(2)-stimulated HSP27 induction. In addition, geldanamycin, another HSP90 inhibitor, potentiated the HSP27 induction. Both onalespib and geldanamycin markedly amplified the PGD(2)-induced phosphorylation of SAPK/JNK and p38 MAP kinase. SP600125, an inhibitor of SAPK/JNK, and SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 MAP kinase, suppressed the amplification by onalespib of the PGD(2)-stimulated HSP27 induction. These results strongly suggest that HSP90 plays a negative role in the HSP27 induction stimulated by PGD(2) in osteoblasts, and that the inhibitory effect of HSP90 is mediated through the regulation of SAPK/JNK and p38 MAP kinase.