Wnt/β-catenin signaling, which is activated in odontomas, reduces Sema3A expression to regulate odontogenic epithelial cell proliferation and tooth germ development

Sci Rep. 2019 Mar 12;9(1):4257. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39686-1.

Abstract

Odontomas, developmental anomalies of tooth germ, frequently occur in familial adenomatous polyposis patients with activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, roles of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in odontomas or odontogenic cells are unclear. Herein, we investigated β-catenin expression in odontomas and functions of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in tooth germ development. β-catenin frequently accumulated in nucleus and/or cellular cytoplasm of odontogenic epithelial cells in human odontoma specimens, immunohistochemically. Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibited odontogenic epithelial cell proliferation in both cell line and tooth germ development, while inducing immature epithelial bud formation. We identified Semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) as a downstream molecule of Wnt/β-catenin signaling and showed that Wnt/β-catenin signaling-dependent reduction of Sema3A expression resulted in suppressed odontogenic epithelial cell proliferation. Sema3A expression is required in appropriate epithelial budding morphogenesis. These results suggest that Wnt/β-catenin signaling negatively regulates odontogenic epithelial cell proliferation and tooth germ development through decreased-Sema3A expression, and aberrant activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling may associate with odontoma formation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Down-Regulation / physiology
  • Embryo, Mammalian
  • Epithelial Cells / physiology
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Mice
  • Odontogenesis / physiology*
  • Odontoma / genetics
  • Odontoma / pathology*
  • Odontoma / surgery
  • Primary Cell Culture
  • RNA, Small Interfering / metabolism
  • Semaphorin-3A / analysis
  • Semaphorin-3A / genetics
  • Semaphorin-3A / metabolism*
  • Tooth Germ / cytology
  • Tooth Germ / embryology*
  • Wnt Signaling Pathway / physiology*
  • Young Adult
  • beta Catenin / analysis
  • beta Catenin / genetics
  • beta Catenin / metabolism

Substances

  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • CTNNB1 protein, mouse
  • RNA, Small Interfering
  • SEMA3A protein, human
  • Sema3a protein, mouse
  • Semaphorin-3A
  • beta Catenin