title: Oral lining mucosa development depends on mesenchymal microRNAs.
abstract: The oral mucosa plays critical roles in protection, sensation, and secretion and can be classified into masticatory, lining, and specialized mucosa that are known to be functionally, histologically, and clinically distinct. Each type of oral mucosa is believed to develop through discrete molecular mechanisms, which remain unclear. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are 19 to 25nt non-coding small single-stranded RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression by binding target mRNAs. miRNAs are crucial for fine-tuning of molecular mechanisms. To investigate the role of miRNAs in oral mucosa development, we examined mice with mesenchymal (Wnt1Cre;Dicer(fl/fl)) conditional deletion of Dicer. Wnt1Cre;Dicer(fl/fl) mice showed trans-differentiation of lining mucosa into an epithelium with masticatory mucosa/ skin-specific characteristics. Up-regulation of Fgf signaling was found in mutant lining mucosal epithelium that was accompanied by an increase in Fgf7 expression in mutant mesenchyme. Mesenchyme miRNAs thus have an indirect effect on lining mucosal epithelial cell growth/differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology, and Biomedical Research Centre, Dental Institute, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London Bridge, London SE1 9RT, UK.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Otsuka-Tanaka
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oommen
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Imam
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jalani-Ghazani
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hindges
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohazama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D054338:Cell Transdifferentiation / Q000235:genetics; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051523:Fibroblast Growth Factor 7 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D017353:Gene Deletion; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000166:cytology; D043244:Ribonuclease III / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics; D051155:Wnt1 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: C496454:Fgf7 protein, mouse; D035683:MicroRNAs; D051155:Wnt1 Protein; C495246:Wnt1 protein, mouse; D051523:Fibroblast Growth Factor 7; C509781:Dicer1 protein, mouse; D043244:Ribonuclease III; D053487:DEAD-box RNA Helicases