Comparison of P75NTR-positive and -negative etcomesenchymal stem cell odontogenic differentiation through epithelial-mesenchymal interaction

• Published in: Cell proliferation Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 185 - 194
• Main Authors: Xing, Yongjun, Nie, Xin, Chen, Guoqing, Wen, Xiujie, Li, Gang, Zhou, Xia, Tian, Weidong, Liu, Luchuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2016
• ISSN: 0960-7722; 1365-2184
• DOI: 10.1111/cpr.12248

Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate differences of odonto‐differentiation between P75‐neurotrophin receptor (P75‐NTR)‐positive ectomesenchymal stem cells (P75+EMSCs) and P75‐NTR‐negative ectomesenchymal stem cells (P75−EMSCs), and their underlying mechanisms. Materials and methods Primary cranial neural crest‐derived cells (CNC) were isolated from the first branchial arches, and P75+EMSCs and P75−EMSCs were sorted by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. Differentiation of P75+EMSCs or P75−EMSCs into odontoblast‐like cells was induced by dental epithelial cells in vitro or in vivo. Differential gene expression profiles between P75+EMSCs and P75−EMSCs were analysed by microarray assay. Smad4‐specific small interfering RNA and activator kartogenin were used to treat the cells, to evaluate effects of Smad4 in odonto‐differentiation of P75+EMSCs or P75−EMSCs. Results Under induction of dental epithelium conditioned medium, P75+EMSCs had more mineralized node formation and higher expression of Dmp1 and Dspp compared to P75−EMSCs. In our in vivo study, graft of P75+EMSCs recombination with dental epithelium showed higher expression of DMP1 and DSP. Knock‐down of Smad4 in P75+EMSCs significantly downregulated expression of DMP1 and DSP, while activation of Smad4 in P75−EMSCs by the activator kartogenin, significantly increased DSP and DMP1 expression. Conclusions P75+EMSCs showed more odonto‐differentiation potential than P75−EMSCs both in vivo and in vitro. Smad4 played a critical role in determination of odonto‐differentiation potential of CNC‐derived EMSCs.