Gene expression, signal transduction and tissue-specific biomineralization during mammalian tooth development.
Tooth development provides a paradigm for intrinsic molecular controls for cell- and extracellular matrix (ECM)-mediated biomineralization. The intent of this review is to evaluate the sequential timing and positional information prerequisite for tissue-specific biomineralization. Recent investigations suggest that 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 functions to up-regulate VDR (vitamin D receptor) that in turn could induce structural gene products, including calcium-binding proteins and several ECM proteins (e.g., enamelins, amelogenins, dentine sialoglycoproteins (DSP) and dentine phosphoproteins (DPP)), resulting in dentine and enamel formation. Inhibition of regulatory gene products and/or their receptors likely results in hypoplastic and/or hypomineralized ECM as a direct consequence of down-regulated (1) transcription and/or translation of structural and regulatory genes, (2) posttranslational modifications, (3) and/or decreased calcium transport to the forming dentine and enamel matrices. Advances in serumless in vitro culture methodology; computer-assisted access to nucleic acid sequences for probes to define when, where, and how many specific regulatory and structural gene products are expressed; antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to inhibit specific translation; and microtechniques to analyze biomineralization all provide additional avenues to investigate tissue-specific biomineralization.
Center For Craniofacial Molecular Biology, School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033.
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HC
Slavkin
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Hu
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Y
Sakakura
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T
Diekwisch
Y
Y
Chai
M
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Mayo
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Bringas
J
J
Simmer
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Mak
Y
Y
Sasano
D000818:Animals; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000502:physiology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005801:Genes, Homeobox; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006728:Hormones / Q000502:physiology; D008322:Mammals / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D008954:Models, Biological; D009805:Odontogenesis / Q000235:genetics; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology; D009928:Organ Specificity; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014074:Tooth Calcification / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014815:Vitamins / Q000502:physiology
D006133:Growth Substances; D006728:Hormones; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D014815:Vitamins