Mammalian dentition exhibits distinct heterodonty, with more simple teeth located in the anterior area of the jaw and more complex teeth situated posteriorly. While some region-specific differences in signalling have been described previously, here we performed a comprehensive analysis of gene expression at the early stages of odontogenesis to obtain complete knowledge of the signalling pathways involved in early jaw patterning. Gene expression was analysed separately on anterior and posterior areas of the lower jaw at two early stages (E11.5 and E12.5) of odontogenesis. Gene expression profiling revealed distinct region-specific expression patterns in mouse mandibles, including several known BMP and FGF signalling members and we also identified several new molecules exhibiting significant differences in expression along the anterior-posterior axis, which potentially can play the role during incisor and molar specification. Next, we followed one of the anterior molecules, SATB2, which was expressed not only in the anterior mesenchyme where incisor germs are initiated, however, we uncovered a distinct SATB2-positive region in the mesenchyme closely surrounding molars. Satb2-deficient animals demonstrated defective incisor development confirming a crucial role of SATB2 in formation of anterior teeth. On the other hand, ectopic tooth germs were observed in the molar area indicating differential effect of Satb2-deficiency in individual jaw regions. In conclusion, our data provide a rich source of fundamental information, which can be used to determine molecular regulation driving early embryonic jaw patterning and serve for a deeper understanding of molecular signalling directed towards incisor and molar development.

• Keywords
• Incisor, Lower jaw, Microarray, Molar, Mouse, Satb2,
• MeSH
• Mandible * metabolism   embryology   MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Odontogenesis * genetics   MeSH
• Incisor metabolism   embryology   growth & development   MeSH
• Body Patterning genetics   MeSH
• Signal Transduction MeSH
• Gene Expression Profiling * MeSH
• Transcription Factors * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins * genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental * MeSH
• Tooth metabolism   embryology   growth & development   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• SATB2 protein, mouse MeSH Browser
• Transcription Factors * MeSH
• Matrix Attachment Region Binding Proteins * MeSH

Ectodysplasin (Eda) plays important roles in both shaping the developing tooth and establishing the number of teeth within the tooth row. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) has been shown to act downstream of Eda and is involved in the initiation of tooth development. Eda-/- mice possess hypoplastic and hypomineralized incisors and show changes in tooth number in the molar region. In the present study we used 3D reconstruction combined with expression analysis, cell lineage tracing experiments, and western blot analysis in order to investigate the formation of the incisor germs in Eda-/- mice. We show that a lack of functional Eda protein during early stages of incisor tooth germ development had minimal impact on development of the early expression of Shh in the incisor, a region proposed to mark formation of a rudimental incisor placode and act as an initiating signalling centre. In contrast, deficiency of Eda protein had a later impact on expression of Shh in the primary enamel knot of the functional tooth. Eda-/- mice had a smaller region where Shh was expressed, and a reduced contribution from Shh descendant cells. The reduction in the enamel knot led to the formation of an abnormal enamel organ creating a hypoplastic functional incisor. Eda therefore appears to influence the spatial formation of the successional signalling centres during odontogenesis.

• Keywords
• mouse incisor, rudiment, shh expression, tabby mouse, tooth development,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling plays critical roles in many physiological and pathological processes, including regulating organogenesis. Down-regulation of NF-κB signaling during development results in hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. The roles of NF-κB signaling in tooth development, however, are not fully understood. We examined mice overexpressing IKKβ, an essential component of the NF-κB pathway, under keratin 5 promoter (K5-Ikkβ). K5-Ikkβ mice showed supernumerary incisors whose formation was accompanied by up-regulation of canonical Wnt signaling. Apoptosis that is normally observed in wild-type incisor epithelium was reduced in K5-Ikkβ mice. The supernumerary incisors in K5-Ikkβ mice were found to phenocopy extra incisors in mice with mutations of Wnt inhibitor, Wise. Excess NF-κB activity thus induces an ectopic odontogenesis program that is usually suppressed under physiological conditions.

• Keywords
• Ikkβ, Wnt signaling, cervical loop, enamel, tooth development, wise,
• MeSH
• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing MeSH
• Ameloblasts cytology   MeSH
• Amelogenin analysis   MeSH
• Apoptosis physiology   MeSH
• Epithelium embryology   MeSH
• Phenotype MeSH
• Keratin-15 genetics   MeSH
• I-kappa B Kinase physiology   MeSH
• Bone Morphogenetic Proteins genetics   MeSH
• Microradiography methods   MeSH
• Mutation genetics   MeSH
• Mice, Mutant Strains MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• NF-kappa B physiology   MeSH
• Odontogenesis physiology   MeSH
• Patched Receptors MeSH
• Promoter Regions, Genetic genetics   MeSH
• Hedgehog Proteins physiology   MeSH
• Receptors, Cell Surface physiology   MeSH
• X-Ray Microtomography methods   MeSH
• Incisor abnormalities   embryology   MeSH
• Wnt Signaling Pathway genetics   physiology   MeSH
• Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods   MeSH
• Dental Enamel cytology   MeSH
• Tooth Germ abnormalities   embryology   MeSH
• Tooth, Supernumerary etiology   genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing MeSH
• Amelogenin MeSH
• Chuk protein, mouse MeSH Browser
• Keratin-15 MeSH
• I-kappa B Kinase MeSH
• Bone Morphogenetic Proteins MeSH
• Krt15 protein, mouse MeSH Browser
• NF-kappa B MeSH
• Patched Receptors MeSH
• Hedgehog Proteins MeSH
• Receptors, Cell Surface MeSH
• Shh protein, mouse MeSH Browser
• Sostdc1 protein, mouse MeSH Browser

Tooth development has attracted the attention of researchers since the 19th century. It became obvious even then that morphogenesis could not fully be appreciated from two-dimensional histological sections. Therefore, methods of three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions were employed to visualize the surface morphology of developing structures and to help appreciate the complexity of early tooth morphogenesis. The present review surveys the data provided by computer-aided 3D analyses to update classical knowledge of early odontogenesis in the laboratory mouse and in humans. 3D reconstructions have demonstrated that odontogenesis in the early stages is a complex process which also includes the development of rudimentary odontogenic structures with different fates. Their developmental, evolutionary, and pathological aspects are discussed. The combination of in situ hybridization and 3D reconstruction have demonstrated the temporo-spatial dynamics of the signalling centres that reflect transient existence of rudimentary tooth primordia at loci where teeth were present in ancestors. The rudiments can rescue their suppressed development and revitalize, and then their subsequent autonomous development can give rise to oral pathologies. This shows that tooth-forming potential in mammals can be greater than that observed from their functional dentitions. From this perspective, the mouse rudimentary tooth primordia represent a natural model to test possibilities of tooth regeneration.

• Keywords
• 3D reconstruction, Tooth, development, human, mouse, odontogenesis,
• MeSH
• Biological Evolution MeSH
• Dentition MeSH
• Diastema embryology   MeSH
• In Situ Hybridization methods   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Odontogenesis * genetics   physiology   MeSH
• Image Processing, Computer-Assisted MeSH
• Regeneration MeSH
• Imaging, Three-Dimensional methods   MeSH
• Tooth, Supernumerary embryology   MeSH
• Tooth embryology   physiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Review MeSH

An understanding of the factors that promote or inhibit tooth development is essential for designing biological tooth replacements. The embryonic mouse dentition provides an ideal system for studying such factors because it consists of two types of tooth primordia. One type of primordium will go on to form a functional tooth, whereas the other initiates development but arrests at or before the bud stage. This developmental arrest contributes to the formation of the toothless mouse diastema. It is accompanied by the apoptosis of the rudimentary diastemal buds, which presumably results from the insufficient activity of anti-apoptotic signals such as fibroblast growth factors (FGFs). We have previously shown that the arrest of a rudimentary tooth bud can be rescued by inactivating Spry2, an antagonist of FGF signaling. Here, we studied the role of the epithelial cell death and proliferation in this process by comparing the development of a rudimentary diastemal tooth bud (R(2)) and the first molar in the mandibles of Spry2(-/-) and wild-type (WT) embryos using histological sections, image analysis and 3D reconstructions. In the WT R(2) at embryonic day 13.5, significantly increased apoptosis and decreased proliferation were found compared with the first molar. In contrast, increased levels of FGF signaling in Spry2(-/-) embryos led to significantly decreased apoptosis and increased proliferation in the R(2) bud. Consequently, the R(2) was involved in the formation of a supernumerary tooth primordium. Studies of the revitalization of rudimentary tooth primordia in mutant mice can help to lay the foundation for tooth regeneration by enhancing our knowledge of mechanisms that regulate tooth formation.

• MeSH
• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing MeSH
• Apoptosis * MeSH
• In Situ Hybridization MeSH
• Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins MeSH
• Membrane Proteins genetics   physiology   MeSH
• Morphogenesis MeSH
• Mice, Knockout MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Cell Proliferation * MeSH
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases MeSH
• Tooth growth & development   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing MeSH
• Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins MeSH
• Membrane Proteins MeSH
• Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases MeSH
• Spry2 protein, mouse MeSH Browser