Jing Yan, Wu Jinqiu, Liu Ying, Liu Xiaohua, Ma Chi
Department of Orthodontics, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M College of Dentistry, Dallas, TX 75246, USA.
Dent J (Basel). 2025 Mar 4;13(3):113. doi: 10.3390/dj13030113.
Nestin is an intermediate filament protein and a marker of odontoblasts, but its function in tooth and bone formation is largely unknown. This study aimed to determine whether Nestin plays a role in postnatal tooth formation. 4-week-old Nestin knockout (KO) mice were analyzed with a range of techniques, including X-ray imaging, uCT, backscattered and acid-etched casted SEM, FITC-confocal microscopy, H&E and TRAP staining, and immunohistochemistry. The KO mice had no apparent difference in crown formation compared to age-matched wild-type (WT) but showed delayed molar eruption with reduced TRAP osteoclasts. More importantly, KO mice developed expanded predentin and shorter, thinner roots with irregular and shortened dentin tubules. Additionally, the Nestin KO mice exhibited a reduced cellular cementum mass with sharp reductions in DMP1, OPN, and BSP. These findings suggest that Nestin plays a critical role in the postnatal development of root dentin and cellular cementum.
巢蛋白是一种中间丝蛋白，也是成牙本质细胞的标志物，但其在牙齿和骨骼形成中的功能在很大程度上尚不清楚。本研究旨在确定巢蛋白在出生后牙齿形成中是否发挥作用。采用一系列技术对4周龄的巢蛋白基因敲除（KO）小鼠进行分析，包括X射线成像、显微CT、背散射和酸蚀铸型扫描电子显微镜、异硫氰酸荧光素共聚焦显微镜、苏木精和伊红染色以及抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶染色和免疫组织化学。与年龄匹配的野生型（WT）小鼠相比，基因敲除小鼠在牙冠形成方面没有明显差异，但磨牙萌出延迟，抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶阳性破骨细胞减少。更重要的是，基因敲除小鼠的前期牙本质扩展，牙根更短、更细，牙本质小管不规则且缩短。此外，巢蛋白基因敲除小鼠的细胞性牙骨质量减少，牙本质基质蛋白1、骨桥蛋白和骨涎蛋白显著减少。这些发现表明，巢蛋白在出生后牙根牙本质和细胞性牙骨质的发育中起关键作用。
