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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the development of rat first molar tooth germ.

Tooth germ development is associated with morphological and biochemical changes of the dental papilla and enamel organ. Enzymes with gelatinolytic activities were studied by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzymography in tooth germ of newborn to 15-day-old rats. Three major bands with gelatinolytic activity were detected at all periods and characterized as the latent and active forms of MMP-2 using their molecular weight and activity dependent on Zn++ and Ca++ ions as criteria. Expression and activity of MMP-2 increased progressively from 0 to 15 days after birth. Mechanical separation of the tooth germ from 10-day-old rats showed that the gelatinolytic activity was localized mainly in the dental papilla and not the dental organ. These data indicate that the expression and activity of MMP-2 varies during the development and maturation of rat first molar tooth germ.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

The role of ascorbic acid on the structural integrity of developing tooth germs.

Tooth germs grown in ascorbate deficient medium for up to 20 days underwent progressive and widespread changes. Proliferation and differentiation of preameloblasts and preodontoblasts progressed normally. Newly differentiated odontoblasts, however, became vacuolated when they began secreting: this suggested a metabolic disturbance. Failure to maintain differentiated odontoblasts, ameloblasts and pulpal cells resulted in aberrant dentin matrix, cessation of dentin production, and finally overall structural collapse with loss of normal morphology. Biochemical studies then were undertaken to define the lesion involved. The relative rate of collagen synthesis in ascorbate deficient cultures was comparable to that of ascorbate supplemented cultures, but the collagen was found to be underhydroxylated. In this state it would be unstable at 37 degrees and subject to preferential degradation. This correlates with the observation that a major fraction of the hydroxyproline in the scorbutic cultures was found in the medium as small molecular weight peptides. The overall effect of ascorbate deficiency was to deprive the tooth germ of the normal quality and quantity of collagen resulting in the characteristic histological and structural abnormalities observed. Flattening and deterioration due to structural failure most likely resulted from abnormal extracellular matrix synthesis in the supportive pulp and dentin due to the aberrant collagen.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

The induction of enamel and dentin complexes by subcutaneous implantation of reconstructed human and murine tooth germ elements.

Tooth induction by xenogenic graft of reconstructed human tooth germ components has never been attempted. Here we report our first attempt at a transplantation of human tooth germ components, heterologously recombined with mouse dental epithelia, into immunocompromised animals. Human third molar tooth germs enucleated from young patients as prophylactic treatment for orthodontic reasons were collected. The whole or minced human dental papilla was reconstructed with human- or mouse molar enamel epithelium, and transplanted in the dorsal aspect of C.B-17/Icr-scid Jcl mice. The transplant of human dental papilla reconstructed with human enamel epithelium formed thin dentin and immature enamel layers by 3 to 4 weeks, but remained extremely small in quantity due to a shortage of epithelial components in the graft. The addition of E16 mouse molar enamel organs (n=10-12) to each graft augmented the formation of tooth germ-like structures, but the differentiation of mouse molar ameloblasts was suppressed. However, once a solid layer of mineralized dentin was established, mouse ameloblasts accelerated their differentiation, and completed the enamel matrix formation and maturation within the following 4 weeks, whereas human ameloblasts, which had interacted with human dental papilla, remained in the stage of matrix formation during the same period. These data imply that, in reconstructed transplants, the differentiation of mouse dental epithelia is restrained by putative suppressive factors derived from human dental papilla until they are separated by mineralized dentin layers that serve as a diffusion barrier. The mouse enamel organ nevertheless retains its own phenotypic characteristics and intrinsic timing of cell differentiation and function.

Amelogenin↗
PubMed1991

Immunocytochemical and immunochemical detection of a 32 kDa nonamelogenin and related proteins in porcine tooth germs.

Porcine tooth germ was investigated immunochemically and immunocytochemically using antibodies against a synthetic N-terminal peptide fragment from a 32 kDa nonamelogenin found in the inner (old) secretory enamel. In immunochemical preparations, these antibodies reacted to many proteins of differing molecular weights, especially to 140 kDa, 89 kDa, 56 kDa, 45 kDa, and 32 kDa proteins. Analysis of the layers of enamel suggested that the 140 kDa and/or 89 kDa proteins, both of which were found in newly formed enamel, were the parental proteins secreted by the ameloblasts, and that they were degraded to produce 32 kDa and other low molecular-weight proteins associated with progressive mineralization. In immunohistochemical preparation, immunoreactivity at the differentiation stage was detected initially over the amorphous dense material or fine fibrils around calcified globules in predentin, while the stippled material was devoid of immunoreactivity. The amorphous dense material seemed to give rise to a continuous layer of initial enamel. At the matrix formation stage, the immunoreactivity of immature enamel just beneath the putative secretory face of the Tomes' processes was intense. From the surface of the enamel matrix to a depth of about 100 microns, immunoreactivity of prism sheaths was weaker than that of enamel prisms, producing a reverse honeycomb pattern. In the enamel matrix deeper than 100 microns, immunoreactivity was weak and homogeneously distributed. The Golgi apparatus and secretory granules of the secretory ameloblasts showed immunoreactivity. These results suggest that the likely parent proteins of the 32 kDa nonamelogenin protein, i.e., the 140 kDa and/or 89 kDa proteins, play a significant role in the calcification of the enamel matrix.

Ameloblasts↗
PubMed2000

A new function of BMP4: dual role for BMP4 in regulation of Sonic hedgehog expression in the mouse tooth germ.

The murine tooth development is governed by sequential and reciprocal epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Multiple signaling molecules are expressed in the developing tooth germ and interact each other to mediate the inductive tissue interactions. Among them are Sonic hedgehog (SHH), Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 (BMP2) and Bone Morphogenetic Protein-4 (BMP4). We have investigated the interactions between these signaling molecules during early tooth development. We found that the expression of Shh and Bmp2 is downregulated at E12.5 and E13.5 in the dental epithelium of the Msx1 mutant tooth germ where Bmp4 expression is significantly reduced in the dental mesenchyme. Inhibition of BMP4 activity by noggin resulted in repression of Shh and Bmp2 in wild-type dental epithelium. When implanted into the dental mesenchyme of Msx1 mutants, beads soaked with BMP4 protein were able to restore the expression of both Shh and Bmp2 in the Msx1 mutant epithelium. These results demonstrated that mesenchymal BMP4 represents one component of the signal acting on the epithelium to maintain Shh and Bmp2 expression. In contrast, BMP4-soaked beads repressed Shh and Bmp2 expression in the wild-type dental epithelium. TUNEL assay indicated that this suppression of gene expression by exogenous BMP4 was not the result of an increase in programmed cell death in the tooth germ. Ectopic expression of human Bmp4 to the dental mesenchyme driven by the mouse Msx1 promoter restored Shh expression in the Msx1 mutant dental epithelium but repressed Shh in the wild-type tooth germ in vivo. We further demonstrated that this regulation of Shh expression by BMP4 is conserved in the mouse developing limb bud. In addition, Shh expression was unaffected in the developing limb buds of the transgenic mice in which a constitutively active Bmpr-IB is ectopically expressed in the forelimb posterior mesenchyme and throughout the hindlimb mesenchyme, suggesting that the repression of Shh expression by BMP4 may not be mediated by BMP receptor-IB. These results provide evidence for a new function of BMP4. BMP4 can act upstream to Shh by regulating Shh expression in mouse developing tooth germ and limb bud. Taken together, our data provide insight into a new regulatory mechanism for Shh expression, and suggest that this BMP4-mediated pathway in Shh regulation may have a general implication in vertebrate organogenesis.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Biosynthesis of tooth germ proteins in vitro: a fast quantitative extraction of amelogenins from intact hamster molar tooth germs.

A three step extraction procedure was carried out on intact hamster molar tooth germs in vitro labelled with 32PO4 and/or 3H-proline, in order to quantify separately the synthesis of dentine matrix (collagen) and the proline rich enamel matrix proteins. The extraction was based on the high solubility of the proline rich enamel matrix proteins compared with the relatively insoluble dentine matrix collagens. Pretreatment with 10% trichloroacetic acid (step 1) demineralized and removed the non-incorporated amino acids and/or small sized peptides. A consecutive water extraction (step 2) removed a large percentage of the phosphorylated amelogenins as assessed by SDS-urea-polyacrylamide-electrophoresis and amino acid analyses. Collagenase digestibility data showed that only small amounts of collagens were present in this extract. Further extraction with 10% formic acid (step 3) released only small amounts of amelogenins from the explants but also increased contamination with collagens and another predominantly low molecular components. Most of the 3H-activity remaining in the residues was found in the collagenase labile material and was considered to be an appropriate measure for production of dentine collagens. On the other hand, the residues also contained small amounts of 3H-labelled material with the same electrophoretic mobility as amelogenins but had much more 32P-activity than the amelogenins derived from the water and formic acid extracts. It is suggested that this material in the residues probably contains the crystal bound enamel matrix proteins.

Amelogenesis↗
PubMed2003

Chick limbs with mouse teeth: an effective in vivo culture system for tooth germ development and analysis.

Mouse tooth germ development is currently studied by three main approaches: in wild-type and mutant mouse lines, after transplantation of tooth germs to ectopic sites, and in organ culture. The in vivo approaches are the most physiological but do not provide accessibility to tooth germs for further experimental manipulation. Organ cultures, although readily accessible, do not sustain full tooth germ development and are appropriate for short-term analysis. Thus, we sought to establish a new approach that would combine experimental accessibility with sustained development. We implanted fragments of embryonic day 12 mouse embryo first branchial arch containing early bud stage tooth germs into the lateral mesenchyme of day 4-5 chick embryo wing buds in ovo. Eggs were reincubated, and implanted tissues were examined by histochemistry and in situ hybridization over time. The tooth germs underwent seemingly normal growth, differentiation, and morphogenesis. They reached the cap, bell, and crown stages in approximately 3, 6, and 10 days, respectively, mimicking in a striking manner native temporal patterns. To examine mechanisms regulating tooth germ development, we first implanted tooth germ fragments, microinjected them with neutralizing antibodies to the key signaling molecule Sonic hedgehog (Shh), and examined them over time. Tooth germ development was markedly delayed, as revealed by poor morphogenesis and lack of mature ameloblasts and odontoblasts displaying characteristic traits such as an elongated cell shape, nuclear relocalization, and amelogenin gene expression. These phenotypic changes began to be reversed upon further incubation. The data show that the limb bud represents an effective, experimentally accessible as well as economical system for growth and analysis of developing tooth germs. The inhibitory effects of Shh neutralizing antibody treatment are discussed in relation to roles of this signaling pathway proposed by this and other groups previously.

Animals↗