Asporin and the mineralization process in fluoride-treated rats.

Microarray analysis of odontoblastic cells treated with sodium fluoride has identified the asporin gene as a fluoride target. Asporin is a member of the small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycan/protein (SLRP) family that is believed to be important in the mineralization process. In this study, asporin expression and distribution were investigated by systematic analysis of dentin and enamel, with and without fluoride treatment.

Role of RANKL (TNFSF11)-dependent osteopetrosis in the dental phenotype of Msx2 null mutant mice.

The MSX2 homeoprotein is implicated in all aspects of craniofacial skeletal development. During postnatal growth, MSX2 is expressed in all cells involved in mineralized tissue formation and plays a role in their differentiation and function. Msx2 null (Msx2 (-/-)) mice display complex craniofacial skeleton abnormalities with bone and tooth defects.

Regulation of calbindin-D(28k) expression by Msx2 in the dental epithelium.

Amelogenesis involves the coordinated expression of a set of molecules that includes enamel matrix proteins and calcium-binding proteins. Msx2 is a member of the divergent homeobox gene family and is instrumental in dental morphogenesis and biomineralization. This study focused on an EF-hand calcium-binding protein, calbindin-D(28k), which is highly expressed in dental epithelium.

The GTPase RAB20 is a HIF target with mitochondrial localization mediating apoptosis in hypoxia.

Hypoxia is a common pathogenic stress, which requires adaptive activation of the Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor (HIF). In concert transcriptional HIF targets enhance oxygen availability and simultaneously reduce oxygen demand, enabling survival in a hypoxic microenvironment. Here, we describe the characterization of a new HIF-1 target gene, Rab20, which is a member of the Rab family of small GTP-binding proteins, regulating intracellular trafficking and vesicle formation.

Sodium fluoride influences the expression of keratins in cultured keratinocytes.

Epithelia in lung, skin, and kidney are often exposed to fluoride, and tissue damage in lung and kidney due to fluoride is well documented. Nevertheless, the biological effects of fluoride on epithelia are poorly investigated. In the present study, we report effects of sodium fluoride (NaF) on the differentiation of a human epithelial cell line, HaCaT.