Year: 2023
Type: preprint
Abstract: Amelogenesis, the formation of dental enamel, is driven by specialized epithelial cells called ameloblasts, which undergo successive stages of differentiation. Ameloblasts secrete enamel matrix proteins (EMPs), proteases, calcium, and phosphate ions in a stage-specific manner to form mature tooth enamel. Developmental defects in tooth enamel are common in humans, and they can greatly impact the well-being of affected individuals. Our understanding of amelogenesis and developmental pathologies is rooted in past studies using epithelial Cre driver and knockout alleles. However, the available mouse models are limited, as most do not allow targeting different ameloblast sub-populations, and constitutive loss of EMPs often results in severe phenotype in the mineral, making it difficult to interpret defect mechanisms. Herein, we report on the design and verification of a toolkit of twelve mouse alleles that include ameloblast-stage specific Cre recombinases, fluorescent reporter alleles, and conditional flox alleles for the major EMPs. We show how these models may be used for applications such as sorting of live stage specific ameloblasts, whole mount imaging, and experiments with incisor explants. The full list of new alleles is available at https://dev.facebase.org/enamelatlas/mouse-models/ .
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, Northwestern University, Gladstone Institutes, National Institutes of Health, Office of Science, University of California, San Francisco, Materials Research Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems, Argonne National Laboratory
Awards: G102163711, G107546177, NNCI: Soft Hybrid Nanotechnology Experimental (SHyNE) Resource, G1313983767, G1505794299, G1664757510, G2101401529, G2287611682, Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), G262962599, G2887060908, G2980159964, G3010471893, G3075337988, G316399430, G340565428, G3954585026, G4120964173, BD FACSAria Fusion Cell Sorter, G4756830717, G4958141111, G498139845, G5106849484, G513797252, G5351157054, G5607048534, G6540817556, G6848031779, G6918803902, G7368700025, G7461832402, Diabetes Research Center, G9000176275, Signaling control and cellular basis of craniofacial morphogenesis and congenital disease, G969889393, G993121649, G993149817
OpenAlex ID: W4362510260