Effects of hepatocyte growth factor anti-sense oligodeoxynucleotides or met D/D genotype on mouse molar crown morphogenesis

Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is considered to be one of the mediators of epitheliomesenchymal interactions during early organogenesis and to be also involved in the development of murine molars. In the developing tooth, HGF is expressed in the cells of the dental papillae, and c-Met, its receptor, in the cells of dental epithelia. In order to study the functional role pl ayed by HGF in tooth development, we tested the effects of HGF translation arrest by anti-sense phosphorothioate oligodeoxynucleotides on E-14 molars cultured in vitro. We also analyzed the histo-morphogenesis and crown cytod ifferentiation of transgenic met E-14 molars cultured in vitro. 3D reconstr uctions revealed perturbations of the cusp pattern. However, histo-morphoge nesis and crown cytodifferentiation were normal at the histological level.