Int J Biol Sci 2013; 9(3):228-236. doi:10.7150/ijbs.5476 This issue Cite

Research Paper

Disruption of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Odontoblasts and Cementoblasts Arrests Tooth Root Development in Postnatal Mouse Teeth

Ran Zhang1,2#, Guan Yang2#✉, Ximei Wu3, Jing Xie2, Xiao Yang2, Tiejun Li1✉

1. Department of Oral Pathology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology, Beijing, P. R. China;
2. State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, Genetic Laboratory of Development and Diseases, Institute of Biotechnology, Beijing, P. R. China;
3. Department of Pharmacology, Medical College, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, P. R. China.
# These authors contributed equally to this work.

Citation:
Zhang R, Yang G, Wu X, Xie J, Yang X, Li T. Disruption of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Odontoblasts and Cementoblasts Arrests Tooth Root Development in Postnatal Mouse Teeth. Int J Biol Sci 2013; 9(3):228-236. doi:10.7150/ijbs.5476. https://www.ijbs.com/v09p0228.htm
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Abstract

Tooth development undergoes a series of complex reciprocal interactions between dental epithelium and the underlying mesenchymal cells. Compared with the study in tooth crown formation, little is known about the molecular mechanism underlying the development of tooth roots. In the present study, we conditionally knock out β-catenin gene (Ctnnb1) within developing odontoblasts and cementoblasts during the development of tooth roots, and observed rootless molars as well as incomplete incisors. Histological analyses revealed intact structure of molar crown and labial side of incisor, however, as for the molar roots and the lingual portion of incisor, the formation of dentin and periodontal tissues were greatly hampered. In situ hybridization experiments using probes of odontoblastic marker genes collagen type I, alpha 1 (Col1a1), osteocalcin (OC) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (Dspp) manifested striking undifferentiation of root odontoblasts in which Ctnnb1 was eliminated. Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) labeling and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunohistochemical experiments also showed retarded proliferation of pre-odontoblasts in mutant mice. However, cell apoptosis was not affected. Additionally, a disrupted formation of cementoblasts, suggested by the absence of transcripts of bone sialoprotein (Bsp) in follicle mesenchyme, was also evident in mutant mice. Our study provides strong in vivo evidence to confirm that Wnt/β-catenin signaling is functionally significant to root odontogenesis and cementogenesis during the tooth root development.

Keywords: Tooth root development, Odontoblast, Wnt/β-catenin signaling, mouse model.


Citation styles

APA
Zhang, R., Yang, G., Wu, X., Xie, J., Yang, X., Li, T. (2013). Disruption of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Odontoblasts and Cementoblasts Arrests Tooth Root Development in Postnatal Mouse Teeth. International Journal of Biological Sciences, 9(3), 228-236. https://doi.org/10.7150/ijbs.5476.

ACS
Zhang, R.; Yang, G.; Wu, X.; Xie, J.; Yang, X.; Li, T. Disruption of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Odontoblasts and Cementoblasts Arrests Tooth Root Development in Postnatal Mouse Teeth. Int. J. Biol. Sci. 2013, 9 (3), 228-236. DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.5476.

NLM
Zhang R, Yang G, Wu X, Xie J, Yang X, Li T. Disruption of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Odontoblasts and Cementoblasts Arrests Tooth Root Development in Postnatal Mouse Teeth. Int J Biol Sci 2013; 9(3):228-236. doi:10.7150/ijbs.5476. https://www.ijbs.com/v09p0228.htm

CSE
Zhang R, Yang G, Wu X, Xie J, Yang X, Li T. 2013. Disruption of Wnt/β-catenin Signaling in Odontoblasts and Cementoblasts Arrests Tooth Root Development in Postnatal Mouse Teeth. Int J Biol Sci. 9(3):228-236.

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