Open AccessMicroRNAs Play a Critical Role in Tooth Development
Author(s) -
Huojun Cao,
J. Wang,
X. Li,
Sergio Florez,
Zeping Huang,
Shankar Rengasamy Venugopalan,
Sudharshan Elangovan,
Ziedonis Skobe,
Henry C. Margolis,
James F. Martin,
Brad A. Amendt
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of dental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1544-0591
pISSN - 0022-0345
DOI - 10.1177/0022034510369304
Subject(s) - ameloblast , mesenchyme , microrna , biology , molar , conditional gene knockout , enamel organ , incisor , microbiology and biotechnology , regeneration (biology) , enamel paint , dentistry , mesenchymal stem cell , gene , medicine , genetics , phenotype , paleontology , ecology
MicroRNAs are known to regulate gene function in many tissues and organs, but their expression and function, if any, in tooth development are elusive. We sought to identify them by microRNA screening analyses and reveal their overall roles by inactivating Dicer1 in the dental epithelium and mesenchyme. Discrete sets of microRNAs are expressed in molars compared with incisors as well as epithelium compared with mesenchyme. Conditional knockout (cKO) of Dicer1 (mature microRNAs) in the dental epithelium of the Pitx2-Cre mouse results in multiple and branched enamel-free incisors and cuspless molars, and change in incisor patterning and in incisor and molar size and shape. Analyses of differentiating dental epithelial markers reveal a defect in ameloblast differentiation. Conversely, the cervical loop (stem cell niche) is expanded in Dicer1 cKO. These results demonstrate that tooth development is tightly controlled by microRNAs and that specific microRNAs regulate tooth epithelial stem cell differentiation.