Panx3 activates the Akt pathway. (A, a and b) Panx3 activates Akt signaling. Stably transfected C2C12 cells or transiently transfected primary calvarial cells with pEF1 and pEF1/Panx3 vectors were incubated for 1 h with BMP2, and levels of signal molecules were analyzed by Western blotting. Panx3 expression increased phosphorylation of Akt and MDM2 and promoted p53 degradation. (B) Akt inhibition reduced Panx3-promoted expression of osterix (a) and ALP expression (b). The transfected cells were cultured with BMP2 for 3 d, and the expression of osterix and ALP was analyzed by real-time PCR. The Akt inhibitor and Akt DN inhibited the expression of Panx3-mediated induction of these genes, whereas Akt CA increased the expression levels in control and Panx3-overexpressing cells. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01. Error bars indicate the mean ± SD; n = 3.