Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate the direct role of Shh molecule on cytodifferentiation and cusp formation. Affi-gel blue beads soaked in exogenous Shh-N, Shh antibody or BSA control protein were implanted between the epithelium and mesenchyme of isolated molar germs at the cap stage. The recombinants were grafted for culture under the kidney capsules respectively. In compared to the control, additional Shh-N protein could not enhance the ameloblasts and odontoblasts differentiation of the explanted tooth germs. While, application of Shh antibody retarded these events. After 4 weeks of subrenal culture, the teeth dissected from the explants treated with Shh-N were multicuspid. Most of the teeth harvested from the Shh antibody group were small and single irregularly shaped cusp was visible. The main cusp height in this group was reduced. The results indicated Shh signaling pathway is critical for odontoblast and ameloblast differentiation and patterns cusp formation.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Prof. Andrew McMahon (Harvard University, USA) for providing Shh plasmid and Prof. Yi-Ping Chen (Ohio State University, USA) for advice. This research was supported by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (30171011) to Prof. Zhi Chen and the grants from Fujian Provincial Department of Science and Technology, China (No. 2002I006, CO320003) to Prof. Yan-Ding Zhang.
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Lu Zhang and Fang Hua contribute equally.
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Zhang, L., Hua, F., Yuan, GH. et al. Sonic hedgehog signaling is critical for cytodifferentiation and cusp formation in developing mouse molars. J Mol Hist 39, 87–94 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-007-9132-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10735-007-9132-3