title: β-catenin enhances odontoblastic differentiation of dental pulp cells through activation of Runx2.
abstract: An intense stimulus can cause death of odontoblasts and initiate odontoblastic differentiation of stem/progenitor cell populations of dental pulp cells (DPCs), which is followed by reparative dentin formation. However, the mechanism of odontoblastic differentiation during reparative dentin formation remains unclear. This study was to determine the role of β-catenin, a key player in tooth development, in reparative dentin formation, especially in odontoblastic differentiation. We found that β-catenin was expressed in odontoblast-like cells and DPCs beneath the perforation site during reparative dentin formation after direct pulp capping. The expression of β-catenin was also significantly upregulated during odontoblastic differentiation of in vitro cultured DPCs. The expression pattern of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) was similar to that of β-catenin. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that Runx2 was also expressed in β-catenin-positive odontoblast-like cells and DPCs during reparative dentin formation. Knockdown of β-catenin disrupted odontoblastic differentiation, which was accompanied by a reduction in β-catenin binding to the Runx2 promoter and diminished expression of Runx2. In contrast, lithium chloride (LiCl) induced accumulation of β-catenin produced the opposite effect to that caused by β-catenin knockdown. In conclusion, it was reported in this study for the first time that β-catenin can enhance the odontoblastic differentiation of DPCs through activation of Runx2, which might be the mechanism involved in odontoblastic differentiation during reparative dentin formation.
authors: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Nana
authors: N
authors: Han
authors: Department of Anatomy and Embryology, School of Medicine, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Zheng
authors: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Ran
authors: R
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Xianyu
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Mi
authors: M
authors: Zhou
authors: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Niu
authors: State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) and Key Lab of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China ; Laboratory of Oral Biomedical Science and Translational Medicine, Department of Endodontics, School of Stomatology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
authors: Qi
authors: Q
authors: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D003782:Dental Pulp / Q000166:cytology*; D003804:Dentin / Q000378:metabolism; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D018021:Lithium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D050659:Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit; D051176:beta Catenin; D018021:Lithium Chloride