Ectodysplasin overexpression reveals spatiotemporally dynamic tooth formation competency in stickleback and zebrafish.

Organ initiation is often driven by extracellular signals that activate precursor cells competent to receive and respond to the signal, yet little is known about how dynamic competency is in space and time during development. Teeth are excellent organs to study organ initiation competency because they can be activated with the addition of a single signaling ligand, Ectodysplasin (Eda). Eda, a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) ligand, is a critical regulator of ectodermal organ development, including teeth, acting through TNF receptors, like Edar, to activate NF-κB signaling in tooth precursor cells.

Modulation of tooth regeneration through opposing responses to Wnt and BMP signals in teleosts.

Most vertebrate species undergo tooth replacement throughout adult life. This process is marked by the shedding of existing teeth and the regeneration of tooth organs. However, little is known about the genetic circuitry regulating tooth replacement.

Distinct tooth regeneration systems deploy a conserved battery of genes.

Background: Vertebrate teeth exhibit a wide range of regenerative systems. Many species, including most mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, form replacement teeth at a histologically distinct location called the successional dental lamina, while other species do not employ such a system. Notably, a 'lamina-less' tooth replacement condition is found in a paraphyletic array of ray-finned fishes, such as stickleback, trout, cod, medaka, and bichir.