Inhibition of RANKL and Sema4D improves residual ridge resorption in mice.

Residual ridge resorption (RRR) is a chronic and progressive bone resorption following tooth loss. It causes deterioration of the oral environments and leads to the pathogenesis of various systemic diseases. However, the molecular mechanisms and risk factors for RRR progression are still unclear and controversial.

Airway M Cells Arise in the Lower Airway Due to RANKL Signaling and Reside in the Bronchiolar Epithelium Associated With iBALT in Murine Models of Respiratory Disease.

Microfold (M) cells residing in the follicle-associated epithelium of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues are specialized for sampling luminal antigens to initiate mucosal immune responses. In the past decade, glycoprotein 2 (GP2) and Tnfaip2 were identified as reliable markers for M cells in the Peyer's patches of the intestine. Furthermore, RANKL-RANK signaling, as well as the canonical and non-canonical NFκB pathways downstream, is essential for M-cell differentiation from the intestinal stem cells.

Developmental changes in primary cilia in the mouse tooth germ and oral cavity.

The primary cilium, a sensory apparatus, functions as both a chemical and mechanical sensor to receive environmental stimuli. The present study focused on the primary cilia in the epithelialmesenchymal interaction during tooth development. We examined the localization and direction of projection of primary cilia in the tooth germ and oral cavity of mice by immunohistochemical observation.

A systematic analysis for localization of predominant growth factors and their receptors involved in murine tooth germ differentiation using in situ hybridization technique.

Tooth development is regulated by various growth factors and their receptors. However, the overall mechanism of growth factor-mediated odontogenesis remains to be elucidated. The present study examined expression sites and intensities of major growth factors and receptors in the tooth germ of murine fetuses and neonates.

A novel type of cells expressing GP2 in the respiratory epithelium of the paranasal sinuses in mice.

GP2, a GPI-anchored glycoprotein, is a useful marker of M cells in Peyer's patches. Our immunostaining of the paranasal sinuses in mice detected a condensed distribution of GP2-immunoreactive cells within the epithelium, apart from lymphoid tissues. In the paranasal sinuses, the cells exhibited a unique morphology characterized by a slender neck portion and huge terminal bulb, quite different from M cells.