Project description:The periodontal ligament (PDL), which connects the teeth to the alveolar bone, is essential for periodontal tissue homeostasis. Although the significance of the PDL is recognized, molecular mechanisms underlying PDL function are not well-known. We report that Mohawk homeobox (Mkx), a tendon-specific transcription factor, regulates PDL homeostasis by preventing its degeneration. Mkx is expressed in the mouse PDL at the age of 10 weeks and 12 months. In Mkx-/- mice, age-dependent expansion of the PDL at the maxillary 1st molar (M1) furcation area was observed. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that Mkx-/- mice presented collagen fibril degeneration in PDL with age, while the collagen fibril diameter gradually increased in Mkx+/+ mice. PDL cells lost their shape in Mkx-/- mice, suggesting changes in PDL properties. Microarray and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analyses of Mkx-/- PDL revealed an increase in osteogenic gene expression and no change in PDL- and inflammatory-related gene expression. Additionally, COL1A1 and COL1A2 were upregulated in Mkx-overexpressing human PDL fibroblasts, whereas osteogenic genes were downregulated. Our results indicate that Mkx prevents PDL degeneration by regulating osteogenesis. Mohawk transcription factor is essential for homeostasis of the periodontal ligament by regulating osteogenic changes with age.
Project description:Analysis of C3H10T1/2 cells overexpressing Mkx. This microarray results show that Mkx has the potential ability to promote differentiation to tendon, ligament and annulus fibrosus cells.
Project description:In order to establish a rat embryonic stem cell transcriptome, mRNA from rESC cell line DAc8, the first male germline competent rat ESC line to be described and the first to be used to generate a knockout rat model was characterized using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis.
Project description:Periodontitis can impair the osteogenic differentiation of human periodontal mesenchymal stem cells, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been demonstrated to play significant roles under both physiologic and pathological conditions. We performed comprehensive lncRNAs profiling by lncRNA microarray to identify differentially expressed long noncoding RNA expression between Periodontal ligament stem cells from healthy Periodontal tissue and periodontal ligament stem cells from inflammatory periodontal tissue. Our analysis identified 233 lncRNAs and 423 mRNAs that were differently expressed (fold change >2.0, p-value < 0.05) between the two groups of cells. The GO analysis revealed that the significantly down-regulated biological processes included multicellular organismal process, developmental process and multicellular organismal development and the significantly up-regulated biological processes included cellular process, biological regulation and response to stimulus in periodontal ligament stem cells from inflammatory periodontal tissue. The Pathway analysis revealed that the differentially expressed mRNAs may involved in Focal adhesion, ECM-receptor interaction, Bacterial invasion of epithelial cells, Long-term depression, Circadian entrainment and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Two-condition experiment, periodontal ligament stem cells from healthy periodontal tissue (hPDLSCs) vs. periodontal ligament stem cells from inflammatory periodontal tissue (pPDLSCs), Biological replicates: 3 control replicates (hPDLSCs), 3 testing replicates (pPDLSCs).
Project description:We used microarrays to detect the differences in gene-expression of the periontal ligament between patients with healthy periodontal ligament and patients with periodontitis RNA was extracted directly from the middle third of the human periodontal ligament
