title: p63 protein is essential for the embryonic development of vibrissae and teeth.
abstract: Development of skin appendages strongly depends on epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. One of the genes involved in this process is p63, a member of the p53 family of transcription factors, essential for ectodermal development, as elucidated by the phenotype of p63 knock-out mice. Surprisingly, no information on p63 expression in tooth and hair is yet available. Here, we show p63 expression during teeth and vibrissae morphogenesis in mouse embryos and we also show a correlation with the expression patterns of the epithelial marker keratin 5 and the proliferation marker Ki67. Our results show that p63 colocalizes with both K5 and Ki67 in the epithelium of developing vibrissae, while in teeth p63 is expressed, together with K5, in the undifferentiated ectoderm (enamel organ), and in ameloblasts, a subpopulation of differentiated ectodermal cells. Moreover, p63 expression in tooth seems not to be fully colocalized with nuclear Ki67 expression.
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Laboratory IDI-IRCCS, c/o Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Rome Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rufini
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weil
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: McKeon
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barlattani
authors.forename: Gerry
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Melino
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Candi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004475:Ectoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006579:Heterozygote; D053569:Keratin-15; D053555:Keratin-5; D007633:Keratins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D012867:Skin / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors; D014070:Tooth / Q000196:embryology*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D053569:Keratin-15; D053555:Keratin-5; D019394:Ki-67 Antigen; C492053:Krt15 protein, mouse; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D015534:Trans-Activators; C486419:Trp63 protein, mouse; D007633:Keratins