title: The effects of osterix on the proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation of human dental papilla cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Dental papilla cells (DPCs) are precursors of odontoblasts and have the potential to differentiate into odontoblasts. Osteoblasts and odontoblasts have many common characteristics. Osterix (Osx) is essential for osteoblast differentiation. However, no information is available for the effects of Osx on the odontoblastic differentiation of DPCs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Osx on the proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation of DPCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  An immortalized human dental papilla cell (hDPC) line was used. Osx was stably overexpressed or knocked down in hDPCs with infection of lentiviral particles to determine its biological effects on hDPCs. The proliferation of cells was measured by the 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation assay and direct cell counting. Expressions of dentin sialophosphoprotein, nestin, dentin matrix protein 1, and alkaline phosphatase were detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction to determine the odontoblastic differentiation of cells. The mineralization ability of cells was evaluated by von Kossa staining and alkaline phosphatase activity assay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overexpression of Osx retarded the proliferation of hDPCs, whereas knockdown of Osx increased the cell proliferation. Overexpression of Osx promoted the odontoblastic differentiation of hDPCs by up-regulating odontoblastic differentiation genes and increased the mineralization ability of hDPCs. Knockdown of Osx down-regulated odontoblastic differentiation genes and decreased the mineralization ability of hDPCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Osx might function as a potential regulator for the proliferation and odontoblastic differentiation of hDPCs.
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan.
authors.forename: Guobin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan; Department of Endodontics, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Shandong University, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan.
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan.
authors.forename: Pingxian
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology and Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan. Electronic address: fmw@whuss.com.
authors.forename: Mingwen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000032:analysis; D000963:Antimetabolites / Q000032:analysis; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology; D002452:Cell Count; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003771:Dental Papilla / Q000166:cytology*; D003857:Deoxyuridine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D057809:HEK293 Cells; D006801:Humans; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics; D064231:Nestin / Q000032:analysis; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D000099311:Dentin Sialophosphoprotein
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase; D000963:Antimetabolites; D003857:Deoxyuridine; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D064231:Nestin; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D000076182:Sp7 Transcription Factor; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000099311:Dentin Sialophosphoprotein; C513309:DMP1 protein, human; C577484:NES protein, human; C478163:SP7 protein, human; C031086:5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine
keywords: 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine; Dental papilla cells; dentin sialophosphoprotein; lentivirus; osterix; short hairpin RNA