Premium
Subtilisin‐like proprotein convertase PACE4 (SPC4) is a candidate processing enzyme of bone morphogenetic proteins during tooth formation
Author(s) -
Akamatsu Tetsuya,
Matsuda Yoshiko,
Tsumura Keiko,
Tada Jun,
Parvin Most. Nahid,
Kanamori Norio,
Hosoi Kazuo
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0177(199912)216:4/5<481::aid-dvdy16>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - biology , proprotein convertase , proprotein convertases , subtilisin , pcsk9 , bone morphogenetic protein , enzyme , kexin , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene , cholesterol , ldl receptor , lipoprotein
The temporospatial expression of PACE4, a member of the mammalian subtilisin‐like proprotein convertase family, in the developing rat molar tooth was determined by in situ hybridization. At the initiation stage of tooth development, PACE4 mRNA was weakly expressed in the dental lamina, whereas the mesenchymal cells intensely expressed the PACE4 transcript. At the bud stage, high‐level expression of PACE4 mRNA was found in the dental epithelium and condensed dental mesenchyme. Its expression became more localized in the differentiating ameloblasts during cap and early bell stages. In the newborn rats, PACE4 mRNA was localized in the ameloblasts and odontoblasts, but its expression became weaker with advancing development, showing apparent association with the differentiation and establishment of functional ameloblasts and odontoblasts. These expression patterns of PACE4 were very similar to those of several bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) reported previously. Because BMPs, which are primarily involved in the morphogenesis in tooth formation, are synthesized as inactive precursors and activated by limited proteolysis at the consensus Arg‐X‐X‐Arg maturation site, the present observations suggest that PACE4 is possibly a candidate proBMP convertase that acts during tooth formation. Dev Dyn 1999;216:481–488. ©1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.