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Published on: November 13, 2013
Dentition development and budding morphogenesis
R Peterková1, M Peterka, L Viriot
1Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Prague. repete@biomed.cas.cz
Journal of Craniofacial Genetics and Developmental Biology
|May 17, 2001
Summary
Mouse embryos develop transient teeth structures that regress through programmed cell death (apoptosis). This process aids in understanding tooth development periodicity and evolutionary pathways for mammalian teeth.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Organogenesis
- Comparative anatomy
Background:
- The mouse is a model organism for studying organogenesis, but its dentition is reduced compared to other mammals.
- Mouse embryos exhibit transient, vestigial dental primordia that normally regress.
- Understanding tooth development mechanisms can provide insights into broader organogenesis processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of epithelial apoptosis in the regression of transient dental structures in mouse embryos.
- To compare tooth budding morphogenesis with other epithelial appendages like lungs and feathers.
- To explore the involvement of signaling molecules in dentition development and evolutionary differentiation.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of mouse dentition development with other mammals and epithelial appendages.
- Examination of transient dental primordia and their regression processes.
- Literature review on signaling pathways (Bmp, Shh, Fgf) in organogenesis.
Main Results:
- Transient dental primordia in mouse embryos undergo regression involving epithelial apoptosis.
- Signaling molecules like bone morphogenetic protein (Bmp), sonic hedgehog (Shh), and fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) are implicated in tooth budding morphogenesis.
- The study suggests that epithelial apoptosis is crucial for specific dentition features and that bud concrescence may explain evolutionary tooth differentiation.
Conclusions:
- Epithelial apoptosis plays a significant role in shaping dentition, contributing to both budding and branching morphogenesis.
- The study provides a framework for interpreting molecular data in mouse tooth development and understanding evolutionary changes in mammalian teeth.
- Failure of bud segregation supports the theory of tooth primordia concrescence in mammalian tooth evolution.
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