Uncoupling protein-2 is an antioxidant that is up-regulated in the enamel organ of fluoride-treated rats.

Dental fluorosis is characterized by subsurface hypomineralization and retention of enamel matrix proteins. Fluoride (F(-)) exposure generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can cause endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress. We therefore screened oxidative stress arrays to identify genes regulated by F(-) exposure.

Matrix metalloproteinase-20 over-expression is detrimental to enamel development: a Mus musculus model.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinase-20 (Mmp20) ablated mice have enamel that is thin and soft with an abnormal rod pattern that abrades from the underlying dentin. We asked if introduction of transgenes expressing Mmp20 would revert this Mmp20 null phenotype back to normal. Unexpectedly, for transgenes expressing medium or high levels of Mmp20, we found opposite enamel phenotypes depending on the genetic background (Mmp20(-/-) or Mmp20(+/+) ) in which the transgenes were expressed.

Revisiting the protein-coding gene catalog of Drosophila melanogaster using 12 fly genomes.

The availability of sequenced genomes from 12 Drosophila species has enabled the use of comparative genomics for the systematic discovery of functional elements conserved within this genus. We have developed quantitative metrics for the evolutionary signatures specific to protein-coding regions and applied them genome-wide, resulting in 1193 candidate new protein-coding exons in the D. melanogaster genome.