Transforming growth factor-beta3 promotes mesenchymal cell proliferation and angiogenesis mediated by the enhancement of cyclin D1, Flk-1, and CD31 gene expression during CL/Fr mouse lip fusion.

Background: Cleft lip with or without cleft palate is the most common congenital anomaly in the craniofacial region. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms behind normal lip fusion can contribute to better intervention and improved functional clinical outcome. Transforming growth factor-beta3 (TGF-beta3) has been implicated in lip morphogenesis.

TGF-beta3 induces ectopic mineralization in fetal mouse dental pulp during tooth germ development.

Several members of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily are expressed in developing teeth from the initiation stage through adulthood. Of those, TGF-beta1 regulates odontoblast differentiation and dentin extracellular matrix synthesis. However, the molecular mechanism of TGF-beta3 in dental pulp cells is not clearly understood.