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Lacruz RS, Habelitz S, Wright JT, Paine ML. DENTAL ENAMEL FORMATION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR ORAL HEALTH AND DISEASE. Physiol Rev 2017; 97:939-993. [PMID: 28468833 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00030.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 01/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Dental enamel is the hardest and most mineralized tissue in extinct and extant vertebrate species and provides maximum durability that allows teeth to function as weapons and/or tools as well as for food processing. Enamel development and mineralization is an intricate process tightly regulated by cells of the enamel organ called ameloblasts. These heavily polarized cells form a monolayer around the developing enamel tissue and move as a single forming front in specified directions as they lay down a proteinaceous matrix that serves as a template for crystal growth. Ameloblasts maintain intercellular connections creating a semi-permeable barrier that at one end (basal/proximal) receives nutrients and ions from blood vessels, and at the opposite end (secretory/apical/distal) forms extracellular crystals within specified pH conditions. In this unique environment, ameloblasts orchestrate crystal growth via multiple cellular activities including modulating the transport of minerals and ions, pH regulation, proteolysis, and endocytosis. In many vertebrates, the bulk of the enamel tissue volume is first formed and subsequently mineralized by these same cells as they retransform their morphology and function. Cell death by apoptosis and regression are the fates of many ameloblasts following enamel maturation, and what cells remain of the enamel organ are shed during tooth eruption, or are incorporated into the tooth's epithelial attachment to the oral gingiva. In this review, we examine key aspects of dental enamel formation, from its developmental genesis to the ever-increasing wealth of data on the mechanisms mediating ionic transport, as well as the clinical outcomes resulting from abnormal ameloblast function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo S Lacruz
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York; Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Stefan Habelitz
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York; Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - J Timothy Wright
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York; Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael L Paine
- Department of Basic Science and Craniofacial Biology, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, New York; Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California; Department of Pediatric Dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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Red Iron-Pigmented Tooth Enamel in a Multituberculate Mammal from the Late Cretaceous Transylvanian "Haţeg Island". PLoS One 2015; 10:e0132550. [PMID: 26177465 PMCID: PMC4503309 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0132550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammals that inhabit islands are characterized by peculiar morphologies in comparison to their mainland relatives. Here we report the discovery of a partial skull associated with the lower jaws of a Late Cretaceous (≈70 Ma) multituberculate mammal from the Carpathian "Haţeg Island" of Transylvania, Romania. The mammal belongs to the Kogaionidae, one of the rare families that survived the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction in Europe. The excellent preservation of this specimen allows for the first time description of the complete dentition of a kogaionid and demonstration that the enigmatic Barbatodon transylvanicus presents a mosaic of primitive and derived characters, and that it is phylogenetically basal among the Cimolodonta. Another peculiarity is the presence of red pigmentation in its tooth enamel. The red coloration is present on the anterior side of the incisors and on the cusps of most of the teeth. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS) analysis reveals that the pigmented enamel contains iron, as in living placentals. Such a red pigmentation is known in living soricine shrews and many families of rodents, where it is thought to increase the resistance of the enamel to the abrasion that occurs during "grinding" mastication. The extended pattern of red pigment distribution in Barbatodon is more similar to that in eulipotyplan insectivores than to that in rodents and suggests a very hard diet and, importantly, demonstrates that its grasping incisors were not ever-growing. As inferred for other endemic Transylvanian vertebrates such as dwarf herbivorous dinosaurs and unusual theropod dinosaurs, insularity was probably the main factor of survival of such a primitive mammalian lineage relative to other mainland contemporaries of the Northern hemisphere.
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Mao F, Wang Y, Meng J. A Systematic Study on Tooth Enamel Microstructures of Lambdopsalis bulla (Multituberculate, Mammalia)--Implications for Multituberculate Biology and Phylogeny. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128243. [PMID: 26020958 PMCID: PMC4447277 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Tooth enamel microstructure is a reliable and widely used indicator of dietary interpretations and data for phylogenetic reconstruction, if all levels of variability are investigated. It is usually difficult to have a thorough examination at all levels of enamel structures for any mammals, especially for the early mammals, which are commonly represented by sparse specimens. Because of the random preservation of specimens, enamel microstructures from different teeth in various species are often compared. There are few examples that convincingly show intraspecific variation of tooth enamel microstructure in full dentition of a species, including multituberculates. Here we present a systematic survey of tooth enamel microstructures of Lambdopsalis bulla, a taeniolabidoid multituberculate from the Late Paleocene Nomogen Formation, Inner Mongolia. We examined enamel structures at all hierarchical levels. The samples are treated differently in section orientations and acid preparation and examined using different imaging methods. The results show that, except for preparation artifacts, the crystallites, enamel types, Schmelzmuster and dentition types of Lambdopsalis are relatively consistent in all permanent teeth, but the prism type, including the prism shape, size and density, may vary in different portions of a single tooth or among different teeth of an individual animal. The most common Schmelzmuster of the permanent teeth in Lambdopsalis is a combination of radial enamel in the inner and middle layers, aprismatic enamel in the outer layer, and irregular decussations in tooth crown area with great curvature. The prism seam is another comparably stable characteristic that may be a useful feature for multituberculate taxonomy. The systematic documentation of enamel structures in Lambdopsalis may be generalized for the enamel microstructure study, and thus for taxonomy and phylogenetic reconstruction, of multituberculates and even informative for the enamel study of other early mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyuan Mao
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanqing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Meng
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origin of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Division of Paleontology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
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Dumont M, Tütken T, Kostka A, Duarte M, Borodin S. Structural and functional characterization of enamel pigmentation in shrews. J Struct Biol 2014; 186:38-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2014.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Revised: 02/06/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Wen X, Paine ML. Iron deposition and ferritin heavy chain (Fth) localization in rodent teeth. BMC Res Notes 2013; 6:1. [PMID: 23281703 PMCID: PMC3556315 DOI: 10.1186/1756-0500-6-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 05/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background An iron rich layer on the labial surface is characteristic of the enamel of rodent incisors. In order to address a role for iron content in continuously growing incisors during odontogenesis, we studied iron deposition patterns in enamel and dentine using Perls’ blue staining and ferritin heavy chain (Fth) immunolocalization. Fth expression is regulated by iron level; therefore its localization can be used as a sensitive indicator for iron deposition. Results Sagittal sections of 4-week old rat incisors showed a gradual increase in iron level in the enamel organ from secretory to maturation stages. In addition, iron was detected in ameloblasts of erupting third molars of 4-week old rats, suggesting iron plays a role in both incisor and molar development. In odontoblasts, the presence of iron was demonstrated, and this is consistent with iron’s role in collagen synthesis. Using postnatal 3-, 6-, 9-day old mice, the spatial and temporal expression of Fth in tooth development again indicated the presence of iron in mature ameloblasts and odontoblasts. Conclusions While these data do not explain what functional role iron has in tooth formation, it does highlight a significant molecular activity associated with the formation of the rodent dentition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wen
- Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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Strait SG, Smith SC. ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF SORICINE ENAMEL: PIGMENTATION VARIATION AND DISTRIBUTION IN MOLARS OF BLARINA BREVICAUDA. J Mammal 2006. [DOI: 10.1644/05-mamm-a-265r4.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Abstract
The aims of this study are to clarify the structure of tubular enamel and the function of enamel tubules on the marsupial of opossum (Monodelphis domestica). Almost all enamel prisms, surrounded by interprismatic enamel, ran obliquely from the dentinoenamel junction (DEJ), and bent near the enamel surface. The enamel tubules are distributed in both enamel prisms and the interprismatic enamel near the DEJ. From the middle to the surface of the enamel, one enamel tubule ran within a single enamel prism. Most of enamel tubules continued from the DEJ to near the enamel surface. It is suggested that each enamel tubule developed in relation to one ameloblast. The fibers of odontoblastic process penetrated the DEJ from the dentinal tubules into the enamel tubules, and some branched across the enamel prisms. The odontoblastic process may be actively cross into the ameloblastic layer and may be involved in the formation of enamel tubules. After in vivo injection of tetracycline, tetracycline labeling showed that the odontoblastic tubules continued to enamel tubules. And strontium was detected in enamel tubules from the DEJ to the enamel surface, as was the dentinal tubules. In conclusion, there was active transport by the odontoblast and it's process through the enamel tubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Kozawa
- Department of Anatomy, Nihon University School of Dentistry at Matsudo, Chiba, Japan
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Abstract
Since high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) provides information on a nearly atomic level, the confidence level with this method is very high. Thus, when lattice fringe continuity is found between two enamel crystals in proximity, such continuity has been taken as evidence of crystal fusion (Daculsi and Kerebel, 1977). Similarly, selected-area dark-field (SADF) electron microscopic imaging has been used to study the axial and spatial orientation of crystals. These studies have shown that there is apparent continuity between enamel and dentin crystals (Arsenault and Robinson, 1989). This observation supported the hypothesis that enamel crystallites are initiated by crystallites in dentin. We have used both HRTEM and SADF methods to identify instances of spatial relationship between crystallites in sections of rat incisor enamel and shark enameloid. In each instance of apparent continuity, goniometric tilting was used to examine the continuous interface. All instances where two crystallites seemed to come into contact, and where HRTEM imaging showed the lattice fringes to be directly continuous, were separated into individual crystallites when the specimen was tilted a few degrees. Thus, adjacent crystallites can show lattice fringe continuity in the absence of real crystallite contact. When instances of overlapping crystallites were examined by SADF imaging, the overlapping crystallites gave a single bright image. Goniometric tilting revealed separate crystallites. Thus, neither lattice fringe continuity nor image continuity under SADF can be used as evidence of crystal continuity unless goniometric rotation and tilting are applied when spatial relationships are suspected.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Dong
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Stern DN, Song MJ, Landis WJ. Tubule formation and elemental detection in developing opossum enamel. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 1992; 234:34-48. [PMID: 1329577 DOI: 10.1002/ar.1092340105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Most marsupials and some placental mammals possess enamel characterized by the presence of tubules, and the cellular origin of these structures has been the subject of a number of previous studies (See, for example, Lester, 1970; Azevedo and Goldberg, 1987). In the present report, tooth germs of the American opossum were examined to determine the structure and composition of enamel tubules during development and to analyze the enamel matrix relative to that of placental mammals with atubular enamel. For this purpose, tissues prepared by aqueous (decalcified and undecalcified) and anhydrous (undecalcified) methods were investigated by conventional transmission (TEM) and high voltage electron microscopy (HVEM), as well as by electron probe x-ray microanalysis (EPMA), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), and electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI). Results indicate that most enamel tubules in the opossum begin as cytoplasmic remnants of Tomes' processes of ameloblasts. During development of the matrix, some of the tubules do not appear to be continuous throughout the prismatic layer. Sulfur is detectable around the lumen of the tubule in decalcified sections by EPMA and in and around the tubule by ESI. Calcium/phosphorus (Ca/P) molar ratios of the mineralizing matrix are generally higher than those found in enamel of other mammals and appear to decrease rather than increase with enamel maturation. The summary of data indicates the presence of sulfated glycoproteins or proteoglycans in this tissue, specifically around enamel tubules. Calcium and phosphorus are also present within the tubules, with the sulfated groups possibly binding calcium to prevent mineralization of the enamel tubules themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- D N Stern
- Department of Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
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