About the project
Vertebrate Muscle Segment homeobox genes encode transcription factors instrumental in tooth, craniofacial skeleton and limb morphogenesis. While early dental and craniofacial patterning have been analysed in detail and their molecular pathways, well documented, the functions of Msx hormeogenes in post-natal development, growth and homeostasis remain less explored.
The aim of the collaborative project is to provide a clear picture of the molecular phenotype profiles of forming cells for dental tissues and associated bone, as well as their regulatory pathways during the post-natal stages. A transgenic Msx2 knock-in mouse line has been generated by inserting the beta-galactosidase gene to disrupt Msx2. Msx2-/- homozygous mice exhibit pleiotropic defects in the skull, tooth, alveolar bone and several epithelial mesenchymal systems. We aim to identify Msx2 target-genes and Msx-dependent pathways by comparing Msx2 -/-, Msx2 +/- and wild-type mice alveolar bone transcriptome. The global transcriptome approach, developed in Oslo, is the gold standard strategy to reach this goal. Oslo team has already applied the transcriptome to whole organs (mouse molars germs and salivary glands. This bilateral project is focused on domains overlapping of both Paris/Oslo team interest. In Paris, we have developed a microdissection protocol which enables the analysis in alveolar bone transcripts of transgenic mice. Oslo team is interested in developping this approach to cellular populations (ameloblasts, odontoblasts, alveolar bone osteoblasts) issued from Paris microdissections