title: Cellular and molecular regulation of odontogenesis.
abstract: Developing mammalian tooth is one of the most interesting model systems to study the mechanism of morphogenetic process especially to understand problems associated with spatial organization and symmetry. In the present article we recapitulate the morphologic aspects of odontogenesis and discuss the cellular and molecular regulatory factors involved in this process. The importance of cellular aspects such as epithelial-mesenchymal interactions and the cell kinetics are described. Role of growth factors such as Transferrin, Epidermal Growth Factor and its receptor and Transforming Growth Factor is analyzed. In addition the studies on transcription factors such as c-fos and Egr-1 and on homeobox genes are discussed to understand the molecular mechanism of odontogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Strutture Biologiche, II Facoltà di Medicina e Chirurgia, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Italy.
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maharajan
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caputo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000235:genetics; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology; D008940:Mitotic Index; D009805:Odontogenesis / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D014157:Transcription Factors