Abstract
BackgroundTranscription factors have been implicated in regulating the differentiation of odontoblasts from dental pulp stem cells/progenitors (DPSCs/progenitors), but their regulatory network is not completely understood.ResultNew transcription factors that control the odontoblast differentiation of human DPSCs/progenitors were analyzed using a microarray. The result revealed bobby sox homolog (BBX) to be expressed most strongly during odontoblast differentiation. Validation using RT-PCR also revealed the strong expression of BBX during the odontoblast differentiation of DPSCs/progenitors. BBX expression was also detected in adult molar odontoblasts and other tissues, including the heart, kidney, testis, and bone marrow. To understand the role of BBX in odontoblast differentiation, BBX variant 1 and 2 cDNA were cloned and overexpressed in DPSCs/progenitors. The results showed that the overexpression of BBX cDNA in DPSCs/progenitors induced substantial mineralization and expression of the odontoblast marker genes, such as ALP, OPN, BSP, DMP1, and DSPP. The knockdown of BBX using shRNA, however, did not affect mineralization, but the expression of ALP and DSPP was decreased substantially. Meanwhile overexpression or knockdown of BBX did not modulate proliferation of DPSCs/progenitors.ConclusionOur results suggest that BBX plays an important role during the odontoblast differentiation of human DPSCs/progenitors.
Highlights
Transcription factors have been implicated in regulating the differentiation of odontoblasts from dental pulp stem cells/progenitors (DPSCs/progenitors), but their regulatory network is not completely understood
Our results suggest that Bobby sox homolog (BBX) plays an important role during the odontoblast differentiation of human Dental pulp stem cells (DPSC)/progenitors
Microarray analysis of gene expression in DPSCs/ progenitors undergoing odontoblast differentiation To examine the transcriptional regulation involved in the odontoblast differentiation of human DPSCs/progenitors, the gene expression profile of DPSCs/progenitors undergoing odontoblast differentiation was analyzed by microarray analysis
Summary
Transcription factors have been implicated in regulating the differentiation of odontoblasts from dental pulp stem cells/progenitors (DPSCs/progenitors), but their regulatory network is not completely understood. DPSCs express some of the transcription factors expressed in embryonic stem cells, including Oct-4, Sox-2 and Nanog [12,13,14]. These transcription factors may regulate the proliferation, self-renewal and differentiation of DPSCs. Oct-4A translocates from the nucleus to the cytoplasm during differentiation of DPSCs [15]. Nucleus-to-cytoplasm shuttling of some transcription factors is a key mechanism regulating commitment or differentiation of DPSCs
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