[Hereditary diseases with tooth anomalies and their causal genes]

In this review, we describe the current knowledge and the advances in research on human genes whose defect leads to dental anomalies. Recently, it was demonstrated that a missense mutation of a human homeobox MSX1 gene causes autosomal dominant agenesis of second premolars and third molars. X-linked anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (EDA), characterized by abnormal hair, teeth, and sweat glands, was demonstrated to be caused by a mutation in a novel transmembrane protein gene that is expressed in epithelial cells and in other adult and fetal tissues. The autosomal dominant Rieger syndrome (RS) manifests hypodontia, adontia, iridogoniodysgenesis and umbilical anomalies. Recently, a novel homeobox gene, RIEG, of Otx family was cloned as a causal gene of RS. The several mutations have been reported on the genes causing hypophosphatasia, which is characterized by defective mineralization of the skeletal and dental structures. An autosomal dominant dentinogenesis imperfecta (DI) is mostly associated with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Most patients with DI have mutations in either the COL1A1 or COL1A2 genes of type I collagen. Amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) is a diverse group of hereditary disorders characterized by a variety of developmental enamel defects including hypoplasia and hypomineralization, some of which have been revealed to be associated with defective amelogenin genes.