Volume 52 (1): 103-112, 2004 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Immunolocalization of BMP-2/-4, FGF-4, and WNT10b in the Developing Mouse First Lower Molar
INSERM U595, Institut de Biologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, Strasbourg, France Correspondence to: A. Nadiri, INSERM U595, Institut de Biologie Médicale, Faculté de Médecine, 11, rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg cedex, France. E-mail: Amal.Nadiri{at}odonto-ulp.u-strasbg.fr
Intercellular signaling controls all steps of odontogenesis. The purpose of this work was to immunolocalize in the developing mouse molar four molecules that play major roles during odontogenesis: BMP-2, -4, FGF-4, and WNT10b. BMP-2 and BMP-4 were detected in the epithelium and mesenchyme at the bud stage. Staining for BMP-2 markedly increased at the cap stage. The relative amount of BMP-4 strongly increased from E14 to E15. At E15, BMP-4 was detected in the internal part of the enamel knot where apoptosis was intense. In contrast to TGFß1, BMP-2 and -4 did not show accumulation at the epithelialmesenchymal junction where the odontoblast started differentiation. When odontoblasts became functional, BMP-2 and BMP-4 were detected at the apical and basal poles of preameloblasts. BMP-2, which induces ameloblast differentiation in vitro, may also be involved physiologically. The decrease in FGF-4 from E14 to E15 supports a possible role for the growth factor in the control of mesenchymal cell proliferation. The relative amount of FGF-4 was maximal at E17. The subsequent decrease at E19 showed correlation with the withdrawal of odontoblasts and ameloblasts from the cell cycle. WNT10b might also stimulate cell proliferation. At E14-15, WNT10b was present in the mesenchyme and epithelium except for the enamel knot, where the mitotic activity was very low. At E19 there was a decreasing gradient of staining from the cervical loop where cells divide to the tip of the cusp in the inner dental epithelium where cells become postmitotic. The target cells for FGF-4 and WNT10b appeared different. (J Histochem Cytochem 52:103112, 2004)
Key Words: tooth development immunohistochemistry epithelialmesenchymal interactions enamel knot BMP FGF WNT
INTERCELLULAR SIGNALING is fundamental to the induction, patterning, and development of organs such as the tooth. The first morphological sign of first lower molar development is a thickening of the oral epithelium (at E11.0E11.5 in the mouse), which subsequently buds into the underlying mesenchyme. At E14, when the cervical loop starts to develop, the enamel knot (EK) is well formed. The EK represents a signaling center that controls tooth morphogenesis (Jernvall and Thesleff 2000
BMPs influence apoptosis, cell proliferation, and cell differentiation (von Bubnoff and Cho 2001
The FGF family in mammals is composed of at least 20 members (Ornitz and Itoh 2001
Wnt genes encode a large family of secreted cysteine-rich proteins that play key roles in intercellular signaling during development (Parr and McMahon 1994
Most data on the expression of these signaling molecules during odontogenesis was obtained by in situ hybridization. They showed temporal and spatial expression patterns consistent with paracrine signaling mechanisms (for review see Thesleff and Sharpe 1997
Immunohistochemistry ICR day (13, 14, 15, 17, and 19) pregnant mice (vaginal plug day = day 0) were sacrificed in compliance with the recommendations of the European Economic Community (86/609/CEE) for the care and use of laboratory animals. The embryos were removed and the heads were frozen with 2-methyl butane in dry ice and stored at -20C until use. Frontal and serial (7-µm) frozen sections were fixed in cold acetone. After three washes in PBS, the slides were incubated in 3% H2O2 in methanol to quench endogenous peroxidase activity. Nonspecific binding sites were blocked with serum for 1 hr. This was followed by an overnight incubation at 4C in the presence of the primary antibody. Goat primary polyclonal antibodies directed against BMP-2 (1:250) (sc 6895), BMP-4 (1:150) (sc 6896), FGF-4 (1:400) (sc 1361), and WNT10b (1:250) (sc6546) were from Santa Cruz Biotechnology (Santa Cruz, CA). After rinsing with PBS, the sections were incubated for 30 min at room temperature in biotinylated anti-goat antibody (dilution 1:200 in PBS, 1.5% blocking serum). After rinsing in PBS, they were incubated with avidin coupled to horseradish peroxidase for 30 min, rinsed, reacted with the chromogenic substrate DAB, and counterstained with nuclear Fast Red. The ABC Staining System (sc 2023; Santa Cruz Biotechnology) was used. For negative controls the primary antibody was omitted.
Western Blotting
For antigen quantitation (BMP-2, BMP-4, FGF-4, and WNT10b) during molar development, nitrocellulose membranes were then treated for 30 min at 60C with Tris 62.5 mM, pH 6.8, containing 2% SDS to detach antibodies. After two rinses with TBS, membranes were saturated as previously described and incubated for 2 hr with a primary antibody (Promega, Madison, WI; dilution 1:5000) which specifically recognized two isoforms (p44/ERK1 and p42/ERK2) of the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase used as a reference (Seger and Krebs 1995
For each antigen, the intensity of the staining observed in the molar was compared with reference tissues on the same section. These were the olfactory epithelium for BMP-2 and WNT10b (Figures 1B and 4B) and the eye for BMP-4 (Figure 2B) .
BMP-2 and BMP-4 At the bud stage (E13), immunostaining for BMP-2 was more intense in the condensing mesenchyme than in the dental epithelium (Figures 1A and 1C). At this stage, BMP-4 was detected in both the epithelium and mesenchyme with a similar intensity (Figures 2A and 2D). The control was negative (Figure 2C). At the cap stage (E14 and E15), antibodies to BMP-2 mainly reacted with the mesenchyme (Figures 1D and 1E). BMP-4 was present in the epithelium and mesenchyme at E14 (Figure 2E) and the staining decreased in both tissues at ED15 (Figure 2F). At E14, the primary EK was negative for BMP-2 (Figure 1D). Furthermore, BMP-4 was detected in primary EK cells distant from the basement membrane at E15 (Figure 2F). From E15 to the bell stage (E17), BMP-2 was mainly detected in the mesenchyme (Figure 1F). During the same period, immunostaining for BMP-4 increased in the pulp (compare Figures 2F and 2G). The secondary EKs were negative with both antibodies (data not shown). Finally, at the late bell stage (E19), staining for BMP-2 (Figure 1G) and for BMP-4 (Figures 2H and 2K) decreased in the pulp, becoming more pronounced at the basal and apical poles of the inner dental epithelium (IDE) cells and in the stratum intermedium (SI) for BMP-2 (Figures 1I and 1J). The control slides were negative (Figure 1H). In the molar, only one protein band of 16 kD was detected with the antibody directed against BMP-2 (Figure 5). Compared to MAPK, which was used as a reference, the amount of BMP-2 was maximal at E14 and then decreased until E17 and remained almost constant at E19 (Table 1). Molars from E13 could not be assessed because of significant peridental mesenchyme contamination.
Two bands reactive with the anti-BMP4 antibody were detected in the molars at 2122 kD and at 16 kD, but the signal was weak (Figure 5). The relative amount of BMP-4 increased from E14 to E19 (Table 1). BMP-4 was maximal at E19 (Table 1).
FGF-4
After immunoblotting, a single band was detected at 1415 kD with anti-FGF-4 antibody (Figure 5). Expression of FGF-4 was maximal at E17 (Table 1).
WNT10b
The anti-WNT10b antibody reacted with a protein band of 2829 kD (Figure 5) . The relative amount of WNT10b was maximal at E14 (Table 1).
Bud to Cap Transition The bud to cap transition is characterized by formation of the cervical loop and histogenesis of the dental epithelium when the IDE and outer dental epithelium (ODE) are separated by the stellate reticulum. During this period the EK extends in the central part of the molar. In most cases, attempts to interfere with signaling molecules involved in odontogenesis have resulted in the arrest of tooth development at the budcap transition, as observed with mice deficient for several genes controlled by BMPs, FGFs, or WNTs (Peters and Balling 1999
The Bmp-2 gene is intensely expressed in the dental epithelium at the tip of the bud (Aberg et al. 1997
At the bud stage, Bmp-4 was expressed in the condensing mesenchyme (Aberg et al. 1997
At E13, FGF-4 was detected in the epithelium and mesenchyme and strong staining was observed at the epithelialmesenchymal junction. FGF-4 has a high affinity for heparan sulfate (Aviezer et al. 1999
At the bud stage, Wnt10b is expressed at the tip of the epithelial bud (Dassule and McMahon 1998
Cap to Bell Stage
At E14, the expression of Bmp-2 became restricted to the primary EK (Keranen et al. 1998
At E15, Fgf-4 was expressed only in the primary EK and later in the secondary EKs (Kettunen and Thesleff 1998 The staining for WNT10b at E15 was strong in the cervical loop and negative in the primary EK, where the mitotic activity is very low. At E17, WNT10b was present in the mesenchyme and the enamel organ. From E15 to E17, the staining for WNT10b became negative in the ODE. The staining in the enamel organ decreased from E15 to E17 except for the cervical loop area. This staining pattern was maintained at E19, supporting the potential role for WNT10b in the growth of the cervical loop.
Late Bell Stage and Cytodifferentiation
Bmp-2 is expressed by odontoblasts and preameloblasts when predentin secretion has started (BègueKirn et al. 1994 From E17 to E19, the relative amount of FGF-4 decreased by 31% and the immunostaining for FGF-4 was very weak in all dental tissues at E19. The decrease in FGF-4 at E19 might therefore correspond to the withdrawal from the cell cycle for more and more odontoblasts and for the first ameloblasts. At the late bell stage, there was weak staining for WNT10b in the mesenchyme except for the tip of the main cusp, which was negative. WNT10b was mainly detected in the IDE. There was an intense staining of preameloblasts and in the cervical loop area. The staining decreased towards the tip of the main cusp. Both FGF-4 and WNT10b appear to be involved in cell proliferation. However, the staining for WNT10b persisted for a longer time in the enamel organ. It can be expected that the target cells for FGF-4 and WNT10b are different. To test this hypothesis and extend this work, study of the receptors is in progress. Functional experiments will be necessary to analyze the signaling effects of these molecules after the cap stage, for which little information is available.
Amal Nadiri was financed by the IFRO. We wish to thank Prof A.J. Smith for critical reading of the manuscript.
Received for publication July 14, 2003; accepted August 13, 2003
Aberg T, Wozney J, Thesleff I (1997) Expression patterns of bone morphogenetic proteins (Bmps) in the developing mouse tooth suggest roles in morphogenesis and cell differentiation. Dev Dyn 210:383396[Medline] Aviezer D, Safran M, Yayon A (1999) Heparin differentially regulates the interaction of fibroblast growth factor-4 with FGF receptors 1 and 2. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 263:621626[Medline] Allen BL, Fill MS, Rapraeger AC (2001) Role of heparan sulfate as a tissue-specific regulator of FGF-4 and FGF receptor recognition. J Cell Biol 155:845858 Baeg GH, Lin X, Khare N, Baumgartner S, Perrimon N (2001) Heparan sulfate proteoglycans are critical for the organization of the extracellular distribution of Wingless. Development 128:8794[Abstract] Bai XM, Van der Schueren B, Cassiman JJ, Van den Berghe H, David G (1994) Differential expression of multiple cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans during embryonic tooth development. J Histochem Cytochem 42:10431054[Abstract] BègueKirn C, Smith AJ, Loriot M, Kupferle C, Ruch JV, Lesot H (1994) Comparative analysis of TGF betas, BMPs, IGF1, msxs, fibronectin, osteonectin and bone sialoprotein gene expression during normal and in vitro-induced odontoblast differentiation. Int J Dev Biol 38:405420[Medline] BègueKirn C, Smith AJ, Ruch JV, Wozney JM, Purchio A, Hartmann D, Lesot H (1992) Effects of dentin proteins, transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF beta1) and bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) on the differentiation of odontoblast in vitro. Int J Dev Biol 36:491503[Medline] Bei M, Maas R (1998) FGFs and BMP4 induce both Msx1-independent and Msx1-dependent signaling pathways in early tooth development. Development 125:43254333[Abstract] Cam Y, Lesot H, Colosetti P, Ruch JV (1997) Distribution of transforming growth factor beta1-binding proteins and low-affinity receptors during odontoblast differentiation in the mouse. Arch Oral Biol 42:385391[Medline] Christian JL (2000) BMP, Wnt and Hedgehog signals: how far can they go? Curr Opin Cell Biol 12:244249[Medline] Coin R, Haikel Y, Ruch JV (1999a) Effects of apatite, transforming growth factor beta-1, bone morphogenetic protein-2 and interleukin-7 on ameloblast differentiation in vitro. Eur J Oral Sci 107:487495[Medline] Coin R, Lesot H, Vonesch JL, Haikel Y, Ruch JV (1999b) Aspects of cell proliferation kinetics of the inner dental epithelium during mouse molar and incisor morphogenesis: a reappraisal of the role of the enamel knot area. Int J Dev Biol 43:261267[Medline] Dassule HR, McMahon AP (1998) Analysis of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in the initial morphogenesis of the mammalian tooth. Dev Biol 202:215227[Medline] Fishell G (1999) BMPs: time to murder and create? Nature Neurosci 2:301303[Medline] Guha U, Gomes WA, Kobayashi T, Pestell RG, Kessler JA (2002) In vivo evidence that BMP signaling is necessary for apoptosis in the mouse limb. Dev Biol 249:108120[Medline] Hall BK, Miyake T (1995) Divide, accumulate, differentiate: cell condensation in skeletal development revisited. Int J Dev Biol 39:881893[Medline] Jernvall J, Aberg T, Kettunen P, Keranen S, Thesleff I (1998) The life history of an embryonic signaling center: BMP-4 induces p21 and is associated with apoptosis in the mouse tooth enamel knot. Development 125:161169[Abstract] Jernvall J, Thesleff I (2000) Reiterative signaling and patterning during mammalian tooth morphogenesis. Mech Dev 92:1929[Medline] Keranen SV, Aberg T, Kettunen P, Thesleff I, Jernvall J (1998) Association of developmental regulatory genes with the development of different molar tooth shapes in two species of rodents. Dev Genes Evol 208:477486[Medline] Kettunen P, Karavanova I, Thesleff I (1998) Responsiveness of developing dental tissues to fibroblast growth factors: expression of splicing alternatives of FGFR1, -2, -3, and of FGFR4; and stimulation of cell proliferation by FGF-2, -4, -8, and -9. Dev Genet 22:374385[Medline] Kettunen P, Laurikkala J, Itaranta P, Vainio S, Itoh N, Thesleff I (2000) Associations of FGF-3 and FGF-10 with signalling networks regulating tooth morphogenesis. Dev Dyn 219:322332[Medline] Kettunen P, Thesleff I (1998) Expression and function of FGFs-4, -8 and -9 suggest functional redundancy and repetitive use as epithelial signals during tooth morphogenesis. Dev Dyn 211:256268[Medline] Kikuchi H, Amano H, Yamada S (2001) Putative role of basement membrane for dentinogenesis in the mesenchyme of murine dental papillae in vitro. Cell Tissue Res 303:93107[Medline] Kollar EJ, Baird GR (1969) The influence of the dental papilla on the development of tooth shape in embryonic mouse tooth germs. J Embryol Exp Morphol 21:131148[Medline] Kratochwil K, Galceran J, Tontsch S, Roth W, Grosschedl R (2002) FGF4, a direct target of LEF1 and Wnt signaling, can rescue the arrest of tooth organogenesis in Lef1(-/-) mice. Genes Dev 16:31733185 Kwon YK, Bhattacharyya A, Alberta JA, Giannobile WV, Cheon K, Stiles CD, Pomeroy SL (1997) Activation of ErbB2 during wallerian degeneration of sciatic nerve. J Neurosci 17:82938299 Lesot H, KiefferCombeau S, Fausser JL, Meyer JM, Perrin-Schmitt F, Peterkova R, Peterka M, et al. (2002) Cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions during initial enamel organ histomorphogenesis in the mouse. Connect Tissue Res 43:191200[Medline] Lesot H, Peterkova R, Schmitt R, Meyer JM, Viriot L, Vonesch JL, Senger B (1999) Initial features of the inner dental epithelium histo-morphogenesis in the first lower molar in mouse. Int J Dev Biol 43:245254[Medline] Lisi S, Peterkova R, Peterka M, Vonesch JL, Ruch JV, Lesot H (2003) Tooth morphogenesis and pattern of odontoblast differentiation. Connect Tissue Res 44:167170 Maas R, Bei M (1997) The genetic control of early tooth development. Crit Rev Oral Biol Med 8:439 Neumann CJ, Cohen SM (1997) Long-range action of Wingless organizes the dorsal-ventral axis of the Drosophila wing. Development 124:871880[Abstract] Ornitz DM, Itoh N (2001) Fibroblast growth factors. Genome Biol 2:112 Parr BA, McMahon AP (1994) Wnt genes and vertebrate development. Curr Opin Genet Dev 4:523528[Medline] Peretto P, Cummings D, Modena C, Behrens M, Venkatraman G, Fasolo A, Margolis FL (2002) BMP mRNA and protein expression in the developing mouse olfactory system. J Comp Neurol 451:267278[Medline] Peterkova R, Peterka M, Vonesch JL, Tureckova J, Viriot L, Ruch JV, Lesot H (1998) Correlation between apoptosis distribution and BMP-2 and BMP-4 expression in vestigial tooth primordia in mice. Eur J Oral Sci 106:667670[Medline] Peters H, Balling R (1999) Teeth. Where and how to make them. Trends Genet 15:5965[Medline] Ruch JV (1998) Odontoblast commitment and differentiation. Biochem Cell Biol 76:923938[Medline] Sarkar L, Sharpe PT (1999) Expression of Wnt signalling pathway genes during tooth development. Mech Dev 85:197220[Medline] Schmitt R, Lesot H, Vonesch JL, Ruch JV (1999) Mouse odontogenesis in vitro: the cap-stage mesenchyme controls individual molar crown morphogenesis. Int J Dev Biol 43:255260[Medline] Seger R, Krebs EG (1995) The MAPK signaling cascade. FASEB J 9:726735[Abstract] Sherman L, Wainwright D, Ponta H, Herrlich P (1998) A splice variant of CD44 expressed in the apical ectodermal ridge presents fibroblast growth factors to limb mesenchyme and is required for limb outgrowth. Genes Dev 12:10581071 Smith AJ, Lesot H (2001) Induction and regulation of crown dentinogenesis: embryonic events as a template for dental tissue repair? Crit Rev Oral Biol Med 12:425437 Tabata MJ, Fujii T, Liu JG, Ohmori T, Abe M, Wakisaka S, Iwamoto M, et al. (2002) Bone morphogenetic protein 4 is involved in cusp formation in molar tooth germ of mice. Eur J Oral Sci 110:114120[Medline] Thesleff I, Mikkola M (2002) The role of growth factors in tooth development. Int Rev Cytol 217:93135[Medline] Thesleff I, Sharpe PT (1997) Signalling networks regulating dental development. Mech Dev 67:111123[Medline] Tucker AS, Sharpe PT (1999) Molecular genetics of tooth morphogenesis and patterning: the right shape in the right place. J Dent Res 78:826834 Unda FJ, Martin A, Hilario E, BègueKirn C, Ruch JV, Arechaga J (2000) Dissection of the odontoblast differentiation process in vitro by a combination of FGF1, FGF2 and TGFbeta1. Dev Dyn 218:480489[Medline] Vaahtokari A, Aberg T, Thesleff I (1996) Apoptosis in the developing tooth: association with an embryonic signaling center and suppression by EGF and FGF-4. Development 122:121129[Abstract] Vainio S, Karavanova I, Jowett A, Thesleff I (1993) Identification of BMP-4 as a signal mediating secondary induction between epithelial and mesenchymal tissues during early tooth development. Cell 75:4558[Medline] Viriot L, Peterkova R, Vonesch JL, Peterka M, Ruch JV, Lesot H (1997) Mouse molar morphogenesis revisited by three-dimensional reconstruction. III. Spatial distribution of mitoses and apoptoses up to bell-stages first molar teeth. Int J Dev Biol 41:679690[Medline] von Bubnoff A, Cho KW (2001) Intracellular BMP signaling regulation in vertebrates: pathway or network? Dev Biol 239:114[Medline] Yu Q, Toole BP (1997) Common pattern of CD44 isoforms is expressed in morphogenetically active epithelia. Dev Dyn 208:110[Medline] Zecca M, Basler K, Struhl G (1996) Direct and long-range action of a Wingless morphogen gradient. Cell 87:833844[Medline] Zhang W, Green C, Stott NS (2002) Bone morphogenetic protein-2 modulation of chondrogenic differentiation in vitro involves gap junction-mediated intercellular communication. J Cell Physiol 193:233243[Medline]
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||