Rudiment incisors survive and erupt as supernumerary teeth as a result of USAG-1 abrogation.
The term "supernumerary teeth" describes production of more than the normal number of teeth in the primary or permanent dentitions. Their aetiology is not understood. Uterine sensitization associated gene-1 (USAG-1) is a BMP antagonist that plays important roles in the local regulation of BMP signaling by binding and neutralizing BMP activities, and also serves as a modulator of Wnt signaling. We report here that USAG-1 deficient mice have supernumerary teeth. The supernumerary maxillary incisor appears to form as a result of the successive development of the rudimentary upper incisor tooth. We confirmed that the USAG-1 expression is localized to the epithelium and mesenchyme of the rudimentary maxillary incisor tooth organ formation. USAG-1 abrogation rescued apoptotic elimination of odontogenic mesenchymal cells. Based upon these results, we conclude that USAG-1 controls the number of teeth in the maxillary incisor region by regulating apoptosis.
Murashima-Suginami
Akiko
A
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan.
Takahashi
Katsu
K
Kawabata
Tomohiro
T
Sakata
Tomoko
T
Tsukamoto
Hiroko
H
Sugai
Manabu
M
Yanagita
Motoko
M
Shimizu
Akira
A
Sakurai
Takeshi
T
Slavkin
Harold C
HC
Bessho
Kazuhisa
K
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D019521:Body Patterning; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007180:Incisor / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009805:Odontogenesis; D010641:Phenotype; D014083:Tooth Germ / Q000378:metabolism; D014096:Tooth, Supernumerary / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D019485:Bone Morphogenetic Proteins; C483887:Sostdc1 protein, mouse