Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins limit G protein signals. In this study, we investigated the role of RGS2 in the control of G protein signaling cascades in osteoblasts, the cells responsible for bone formation. Expression of RGS2 was up-regulated in primary cultures of mouse calvarial osteoblasts by parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP)-(1-34), which stimulates Gs signaling. RGS2 was also up-regulated by extracellular ATP, which selectively activates Gq, as well as by forskolin and phorbol myristate acetate, which activate targets downstream of Gs and Gq, respectively. To assess the role of endogenous RGS2, we characterized Gs and Gq signaling in osteoblasts derived from wild type and rgs2-/- mice. Under control conditions, nucleotide-stimulated calcium release, endothelin-stimulated accumulation of inositol phosphates, and PTHrP-stimulated cAMP accumulation were equivalent in osteoblasts isolated from wild type and rgs2-/- mice. Thus, basal levels of endogenous RGS2 do not appear to regulate Gs or Gq signaling in osteoblasts. Interestingly, forskolin treatment of wild type but not rgs2-/- osteoblasts suppressed both endothelin-stimulated accumulation of inositol phosphates and nucleotide-stimulated calcium release, indicating that up-regulation of RGS2 by Gs signaling desensitizes Gq signals. Furthermore, pretreatment with ATP suppressed PTHrP-dependent cAMP accumulation in wild type but not rgs2-/- osteoblasts, implying that up-regulation of RGS2 by Gq signaling desensitizes Gs signals. Our findings demonstrate that endogenously expressed RGS2 can limit Gs signaling. Moreover, up-regulation of RGS2 contributes to cross-desensitization of Gs- and Gq-coupled signals.