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Regulation of root patterns in mammalian teeth
Hyejin Seo1,2, Jinsun Kim1,2, Jae Joon Hwang3
1Division of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, Yonsei University College of Dentistry, Seoul, Korea.
Scientific Reports
|October 7, 2017
Summary
Mammalian tooth root formation is linked to cusp patterns. The study reveals how cervical tongues, influenced by cusp growth, guide root development, clarifying a previously unknown mechanism.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Dental Anatomy
- Morphogenesis
Background:
- Mammalian teeth exhibit diverse crown and root patterns.
- Root patterning mechanisms remain less understood than crown patterning.
- Discrepancies between cusp and root numbers hinder understanding of root formation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanism of mammalian tooth root pattern formation.
- To investigate the role of cervical tongues in root development.
- To establish the relationship between cusp, cervical tongue, and root patterns.
Main Methods:
- Examined cervical tongue patterns in mammalian teeth.
- Investigated factors influencing cervical tongue formation.
- Analyzed the correlation between cusp, cervical tongue, and root patterns using predictive formulas.
Main Results:
- Identified a simple mechanism for cervical tongue formation involving lateral mesenchymal growth.
- Demonstrated that inhibited lateral growth suppresses cervical tongue formation.
- Established a positive correlation between cusp, cervical tongue, and root numbers.
Conclusions:
- Cusp pattern and lateral cusp growth are key regulators of mammalian tooth root patterning.
- Cervical tongue formation is a critical intermediate step in root development.
- The findings provide a framework for understanding the diversity of mammalian root morphology.
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