Developmental role of PTHrP in murine molars.

Although PTHrP is produced in multiple fetal tissues, its precise physiological functions have yet to be clearly elucidated. The present study was undertaken to elucidate the biological role of PTHrP in the development of tooth. In rat tooth germs, the PTHrP and its receptor genes were expressed in the enamel organ and dental mesenchyme, respectively. When mouse tooth explants were cultured with antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODN) against mouse PTHrP mRNA in serum-free medium, an invasion of bone tissue was observed in the tooth germs. On the other hand, the explants cultured without ODN or with sense ODN showed normal histological structures similar to those observed in vivo. These results suggest that PTHrP is essential for tooth development and for the protection of tooth germs from the invasion of bone tissue.