Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 8, 2026

Analyzing Craniofacial Morphogenesis in Zebrafish Using 4D Confocal Microscopy
Published on: January 30, 2014
Control of tooth morphogenesis by Runx2
1Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Dentistry and Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea. hmryoo@snu.ac.kr
Abstract:
Odontogenesis is a complex process in which the interplay of signaling cascades of the epithelium and mesenchyme is critical. Evidence for the involvement of Runx2--a well-known osteogenic master transcription factor--in odontogenesis, has been accumulating. Haploinsufficiency of Runx2 in humans results in cleido-cranial dysplasia (CCD), characterized by supernumerary teeth; in Runx2-/- mice, molar odontogenesis does not proceed beyond the late bud stage. In this article, we discuss the role of Runx2 in tooth development, specifically in the signaling interplay of the epithelium and mesenchyme during the transition from bud stage to cap stage. Runx2 is an important molecule of the dental mesenchyme; its expression is induced by epithelial fibroblast growth factor (FGF), and it is involved in regulating the induction of mesenchymal signaling back to the dental epithelium for epithelial morphogenesis. In addition, we discuss the role of the two major isoforms of Runx2, and other Runx family genes, in odontogenic processes.
More Related Videos
08:10Using Confocal Analysis of Xenopus laevis to Investigate Modulators of Wnt and Shh Morphogen Gradients
Published on: December 14, 2015
07:26Isolation of Whole Cell Protein Lysates from Mouse Facial Processes and Cultured Palatal Mesenchyme Cells for Phosphoprotein Analysis
Published on: April 1, 2022
Related Concept Videos
Determination
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway
Master Transcription Regulators
TGF - β Signaling Pathway
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin and...
Morphogenesis