Abstract
Tooth eruption is a continuous biological process with dynamic changes at cellular and tissue levels, particularly within the periodontal ligament (PDL). Occlusion completion is a significant physiological landmark of dentition establishment. However, the importance of the involvement of molecular networks engaging in occlusion establishment on the final PDL maturation is still largely unknown. In this study, using rat and mouse molar teeth and a human PDL cell line for RNAseq and proteomic analysis, we systematically screened the key molecular links in regulating PDL maturation before and after occlusion establishment. We discovered Notch, a key molecular pathway in regulating stem cell fate and differentiation, is a major player in the event. Intercepting the Notch pathway by deleting its key canonical transcriptional factor, RBP-Jkappa, using a conditional knockout strategy in the mice delayed PDL maturation. We also identified that Lamin A, a cell nuclear lamina member, is a unique marker of PDL maturation, and its expression is under the control of Notch signaling. Our study therefore provides a deep insight of how PDL maturation is regulated at the molecular level, and we expect the outcomes to be applied for a better understanding of the molecular regulation networks in physiological conditions such as tooth eruption and movement and also for periodontal diseases.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
