c-Abl promotes osteoblast expansion by differentially regulating canonical and non-canonical BMP pathways and p16 INK4a expression

Li and colleagues report that c-Abl regulates the responses downstream of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) that direct proliferation or senescence in osteoblasts. They show that phosphorylation of the BMP receptor BMPR1A by c-Abl promotes downstream Smad-mediated responses and osteoblast expansion, whereas in the absence of c-Abl, BMP activates Erk signalling, leading to p16INK4a-induced senescence.