title: Spatial signalling mediated by the transforming growth factor-β signalling pathway during tooth formation.
abstract: Tooth development relies on sequential and reciprocal interactions between the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues, and it is continuously regulated by a variety of conserved and specific temporal-spatial signalling pathways. It is well known that suspensions of tooth germ cells can form tooth-like structures after losing the positional information provided by the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. However, the particular stage in which the tooth germ cells start to form tooth-like structures after losing their positional information remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the reassociation of tooth germ cells suspension from different morphological stages during tooth development and the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in this process. Four tooth morphological stages were designed in this study. The results showed that tooth germ cells formed odontogenic tissue at embryonic day (E) 14.5, which is referred to as the cap stage, and they formed tooth-like structures at E16.5, which is referred to as the early bell stage, and E18.5, which is referred to as the late bell stage. Moreover, the transforming growth factor-β signalling pathway might play a role in this process.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Xin-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Ruo-Shi
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Department of Endodontics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jia-Li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Cai-Xia
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Pi
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Mian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Ran
authors.initials: YR
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Li-Wei
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.|West China School of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D009805:Odontogenesis; D014070:Tooth; D014083:Tooth Germ; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors