Tracing PRX1+ cells during molar formation and periodontal ligament reconstruction

Abstract

Neural crest-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to play an essential function during tooth and skeletal development. PRX1+ cells constitute an important MSC subtype that is implicated in osteogenesis. However, their potential function in tooth development and regeneration remains elusive. In the present study, we first assessed the cell fate of PRX1+ cells during molar development and periodontal ligament (PDL) formation in mice. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing analysis was performed to study the distribution of PRX1+ cells in PDL cells. The behavior of PRX1+ cells during PDL reconstruction was investigated using an allogeneic transplanted tooth model. Although PRX1+ cells are spatial specific and can differentiate into almost all types of mesenchymal cells in first molars, their distribution in third molars is highly limited. The PDL formation is associated with a high number of PRX1+ cells; during transplanted teeth PDL reconstruction, PRX1+ cells from the recipient alveolar bone participate in angiogenesis as pericytes. Overall, PRX1+ cells are a key subtype of dental MSCs involved in the formation of mouse molar and PDL and participate in angiogenesis as pericytes during PDL reconstruction after tooth transplantation.

Loss of KDM4B impairs osteogenic differentiation of OMSCs and promotes oral bone aging

“…For further studies, we performed experiments using Prx1Cre;Kdm4b f/f ( Kdm4b f/f ) mice, which specifically delete the expression of KDM4B in MSCs as described in our previous study. 3 , 23 Knockout efficiency in OMSCs was confirmed by qRT-PCR (Fig. 1b ).…”

Periodontal tissue stem cells and mesenchymal stem cells in the periodontal ligament

“…Gli1-positive cells in the PDL have been further studied during cementogenesis [49] . Leptin receptor-positive cells, the other stem cell population in the bone marrow, in the PDL contributed to the healing of extraction sockets [50] , and paired related homeobox 1 (Prrx1)-positive cells contributed to cell-autonomous PDL reconstruction after tooth transplantation according to a recent study [51] . These results are significant because they provide in vivo evidence that a group of cells in the PDL can differentiate into the osteoblast and cementoblast lineages.…”

Diverse stem cells for periodontal tissue formation and regeneration

“…Moreover, when Prrx1 + cells are selectively ablated, noncritical periodontal fenestration defect could not be repaired in mouse incisors, indicating that Prrx1 + cells are important to maintain periodontal tissue homeostasis (Bassir et al, 2019). Gong et al reported that Prrx1 + lineage cells are widely located in dental mesenchymal tissues such as DP and DF, and readily differentiate into PDL fibroblasts (Gong et al, 2022). Furthermore, Prrx1 + lineage mesenchymal cells surrounding blood vessels are involved in angiogenesis during PDL repair based on scRNA‐seq analyses and allograft tooth transplantation model.…”