Isolation and expression of FIP-2 in wounded pulp of the rat

Pulpal wound healing followed by cavity preparation may involve reactionary or reparative dentinogenesis in relation to the cavity position; however, little is known about the molecular responses. We aimed to isolate and analyze genes induced or suppressed in the wounded pulp to identify molecular processes involved in the pulp responses to injury. Twenty-three cDNAs were isolated by cDNA subtraction between healthy and wounded pulp of rats. By library screening, we identified rat 14.7K-interacting protein (rFIP)-2A and B genes homologous to human FIP-2, being involved in regulating membrane trafficking and cellular morphogenesis. RT-PCR analysis showed induction for only rFIP-2B in the wounded pulp. In situ hybridization analysis revealed that both rFIP-2s were expressed strongly in condensing mesenchymal cells of the palatal process and surrounding Meckel's cartilage, but not in intramembranous chondrogenic cells. Thus, up-regulated rFIP-2B expression may play a role in regulating membrane trafficking or cellular morphogenesis of these embryonic and wounded pulpal cells.

Assembly and isolation of intermediate steps of transcription complexes formed on the human 5S rRNA gene

By employing purified transcription factors and RNA polymerase III (pol III), we generated active pol III transcription complexes on the human 5S rRNA gene. These large complexes were separated by size exclusion chromatography from non- incorporated proteins. In addition, we succeeded in isolating specific intermediate stages of complex formation. Such isolated partial complexes require complementation with the missing activities for full transcription activity. One central finding is that a 5S DNA-TFIIIA-TFIIIC2-TFIIIBbeta complex could be isolated which had been assembled in the absence of the general pol III transcription factor IIIC1. Thus TFIIIC1 is not an assembly factor for other transcription factors. Although pol III has the potential to bind unspecifically to DNA, such polymerase molecules cannot be rendered initiation competent by direct recruitment to a 5S DNA-TFIIIA-TFIIIC2- TFIIIBbeta complex, but this process strictly requires additional TFIIIC1 activity. This clearly demonstrates that in contrast to yeast cells, hTFIIIB(beta), although required, does not suffice for the functional recruitment of polymerase III. These data document that TFIIIC1 is the second transcription factor required for the recruitment of pol III in mammalian cells.