title: The role of growth factors in tooth development.
abstract: Growth factors and other paracrine signal molecules regulate communication between cells in all developing organs. During tooth morphogenesis, molecules in several conserved signal families mediate interactions both between and within the epithelial and mesenchymal tissue layers. The same molecules are used repeatedly during advancing development, and several growth factors are coexpressed in epithelial signaling centers. The enamel knots are signaling centers that regulate the patterning of teeth and are associated with foldings of the epithelial sheet. Different signaling pathways form networks and are integrated at many levels. Many targets of the growth factors have been identified, and mutations in several genes within the signaling networks cause defective tooth formation in both humans and mice.
authors.affiliation: Developmental Biology Research Program, Institute of Biotechnology, Viikki Biocenter, University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Irma
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thesleff
authors.forename: Marja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikkola
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014070:Tooth / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; D006133:Growth Substances; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051880:Receptors, Notch; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors