Comparative gene-expression analysis of the dental follicle and periodontal ligament in humans

Hyo-Seol Lee; Jongeun Lee; Seong-Oh Kim; Je-Seon Song; Jae-Ho Lee; Syng-Ill Lee; Han-Sung Jung; Byung-Jai Choi

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084201

Comparative gene-expression analysis of the dental follicle and periodontal ligament in humans

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 23;8(12):e84201. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0084201. eCollection 2013.

Authors

Hyo-Seol Lee¹, Jongeun Lee¹, Seong-Oh Kim², Je-Seon Song², Jae-Ho Lee², Syng-Ill Lee³, Han-Sung Jung⁴, Byung-Jai Choi²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea ; Oral Science Research Center, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
³ Division in Oral Physiology, Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Division in Anatomy & Developmental Biology, Department of Oral Biology, College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

The human dental follicle partially differentiates into the periodontal ligament (PDL), but their biological functions are different. The gene-expression profiles of the dental follicle and PDL were compared using the cDNA microarray technique. Microarray analysis identified 490 genes with a twofold or greater difference in expression, 365 and 125 of which were more abundant in the dental follicle and PDL, respectively. The most strongly expressed genes in the dental follicle were those related to bone development and remodeling (EGFL6, MMP8, FRZB, and NELL1), apoptosis and chemotaxis (Nox4, CXCL13, and CCL2), and tooth and embryo development (WNT2, PAX3, FGF7, AMBN, AMTN, and SLC4A4), while in the PDL it was the tumor-suppressor gene WIF1. Genes related to bone development and remodeling (STMN2, IBSP, BMP8A, BGLAP, ACP5, OPN, BMP3, and TM7SF4) and wound healing (IL1, IL8, MMP3, and MMP9) were also more strongly expressed in the PDL than in the dental follicle. In selected genes, a comparison among cDNA microarray, real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction, and immunohistochemical staining confirmed similar relative gene expressions. The gene-expression profiles presented here identify candidate genes that may enable differentiation between the dental follicle and PDL.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cell Differentiation / physiology
Dental Sac / metabolism*
Gene Expression Profiling
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / genetics
Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / physiology*
Humans
Immunohistochemistry
Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
Periodontal Ligament / metabolism*
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program of the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2011-0022160 and 2012R1A1A2041910). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.