In osteoblasts, the mitogen-activated protein kinases ERK1/2 and p38 as well as the cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB) have been implicated in the regulation of proliferation and differentiation. The osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) is a 14-mer bone cell mitogen that increases bone formation and trabecular bone density and stimulates fracture healing. OGP-(10 -14) is the physiologically active form of OGP. Using gene array analysis, real-time reverse transcription-PCR, and immunoblot and DNA synthesis assays we show here that in MC3T3 E1 and newborn mouse calvarial osteoblastic cultures the OGP-(10 -14) mitogenic signaling is critically dependent on de novo synthesis of mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (Mapkapk2) mRNA and protein.The increase in Mapkapk2 occurs following short term (5-60 min) stimulation of ERK1/2 activity by OGP-(10 -14); phosphorylation of p38 remains unaffected. Downstream of Mapkapk2, CREB is phosphorylated on Ser 133 leading to its enhanced transcriptional activity. That these events are critical for the OGP-(10 -14) mitogenic signaling is demonstrated by blocking the effects of OGP-(10 -14) on the ERK1/2 pathway, Mapkapk2, CREB, and DNA synthesis using the MEK inhibitor PD098059. The OGP-(10 -14) stimulation of CREB transcriptional activity and DNA synthesis is also blocked by Mapkapk2 siRNA. These data define a novel mitogenic signaling pathway in osteoblasts whereby ERK1/2 stimulation of CREB phosphorylation and transcriptional activity as well as DNA synthesis are critically dependent on de novo Mapkapk2 synthesis.In mammalian cells, the family of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) 3 kinases provides a key link between membrane-bound receptors and changes in the pattern of gene expression. The MAP kinases are activated downstream of many different types of receptors, including tyrosine kinase receptors, cytokine receptors, and serpentine G-protein coupled receptors (1, 2). The MAP kinases consist of four subfamilies: the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase/stress-activated kinase, p38 MAP kinase, and ERK 5. Further downstream, they regulate a multitude of transcription factors that control cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation (3, 4). In osteoblasts, ERK1/2-dependent phosphorylation cascades have been implicated in the regulation of proliferation and RUNX2 activity (5, 6). Activation of p38 has been demonstrated in osteoblasts undergoing differentiation after stimulation with bone morphogenetic protein-2 and epidermal growth factor (7,8).The osteogenic growth peptide (OGP) is a 14-mer bone cell mitogen that increases bone formation and trabecular bone density and stimulates fracture healing when administered to mice and rats (9 -11). Transgenic mice overexpressing OGP have a markedly increased peak bone mass (12). OGP is present in mammalian serum in micromolar concentrations mainly complexed to ␣ 2 -macroglobulin (13). Upon its dissociation from the complex, it is proteolytically activated yieldin...