Organs throughout the body develop both asymmetrically and symmetrically. Here, we assess how symmetrical teeth in reptiles can be created from asymmetrical tooth germs. Teeth of lepidosaurian reptiles are mostly anchored to the jaw bones by pleurodont ankylosis, where the tooth is held in place on the labial side only. Pleurodont teeth are characterized by significantly asymmetrical development of the labial and lingual sides of the cervical loop, which later leads to uneven deposition of hard tissue. On the other hand, acrodont teeth found in lizards of the Acrodonta clade (i.e. agamas, chameleons) are symmetrically ankylosed to the jaw bone. Here, we have focused on the formation of the symmetrical acrodont dentition of the veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus). Intriguingly, our results revealed distinct asymmetries in morphology of the labial and lingual sides of the cervical loop during early developmental stages, both at the gross and ultrastructural level, with specific patterns of cell proliferation and stem cell marker expression. Asymmetrical expression of ST14 was also observed, with a positive domain on the lingual side of the cervical loop overlapping with the SOX2 domain. In contrast, micro-CT analysis of hard tissues revealed that deposition of dentin and enamel was largely symmetrical at the mineralization stage, highlighting the difference between cervical loop morphology during early development and differentiation of odontoblasts throughout later odontogenesis. In conclusion, the early asymmetrical development of the enamel organ seems to be a plesiomorphic character for all squamate reptiles, while symmetrical and precisely orchestrated deposition of hard tissue during tooth formation in acrodont dentitions probably represents a novelty in the Acrodonta clade.

• MeSH
• Jaw physiology   MeSH
• Lizards * anatomy & histology   physiology   MeSH
• Odontogenesis physiology   MeSH
• Bone Development physiology   MeSH
• Tooth physiology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Secondary palate development is characterized by the formation of two palatal shelves on the maxillary prominences, which fuse in the midline in mammalian embryos. However, in reptilian species, such as turtles, crocodilians, and lizards, the palatal shelves of the secondary palate develop to a variable extent and morphology. While in most Squamates, the palate is widely open, crocodilians develop a fully closed secondary palate. Here, we analyzed developmental processes that underlie secondary palate formation in chameleons, where large palatal shelves extend horizontally toward the midline. The growth of the palatal shelves continued during post-hatching stages and closure of the secondary palate can be observed in several adult animals. The massive proliferation of a multilayered oral epithelium and mesenchymal cells in the dorsal part of the palatal shelves underlined the initiation of their horizontal outgrowth, and was decreased later in development. The polarized cellular localization of primary cilia and Sonic hedgehog protein was associated with horizontal growth of the palatal shelves. Moreover, the development of large palatal shelves, supported by the pterygoid and palatine bones, was coupled with the shift in Meox2, Msx1, and Pax9 gene expression along the rostro-caudal axis. In conclusion, our results revealed distinctive developmental processes that contribute to the expansion and closure of the secondary palate in chameleons and highlighted divergences in palate formation across amniote species.

• Keywords
• SHH, chameleon, primary cilia, reptile, secondary palate, skeletogenesis,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH