Non-collagenous matrix proteins secreted by the ameloblasts (amelogenin) and odontoblasts (osteocalcin) play important roles in the mineralization of enamel and dentin. In this study, comparative genomics approaches were used to identify the functional domains and model the three-dimensional structure of amelogenin and osteocalcin, respectively. Multiple sequence analysis of amelogenin in diffe...

From the ‡Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology and **Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90033 and ¶Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan Medical School, Michigan 48109-0622, USA. Running Title: Mouse amelogenin gene regulation §Address correspondence to: Malcolm L. Snead, CSA 142,...

We have developed a vectorette PCR approach to provide an improved method for isolation of microsatellite repeats. The modified procedure relies on PCR amplification using a vectorette-specific primer in combination with one of a panel of anchored dinucleotide repeat primers. The target DNA to be screened for microsatellite sequences can be from YAC, P1, cosmid, bacteriophage or plasmid clones....

Amelogenins are a set of low molecular-weight enamel proteins belonging to a group of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins with a key role in tooth enamel development and in other regeneration processes, such as wound healing and angiogenesis. Since only few data are actually available to unravel amelogenin mechanism of action in chronic skin healing restoration, we moved to the full characteriz...

Amelogenins bind to GlcNAc of the dentine-enamel matrix proteins (Ravindranath, R. M. H., Moradian-Oldak, J., Fincham, A. G. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. 274, 2464-2471). The hypothesis that amelogenins may interact with the peptides that mimic GlcNAc is tested. GlcNAc-mimicking peptide (SFGSGFGGGY) but not its variants with single amino acid substitution at serine, tyrosine, or phenylalanine residues...

Enamel crystallites form in a protein matrix located proximal to the ameloblast cell layer. This unique organic extracellular matrix is constructed from structural protein components biosynthesized and secreted by ameloblasts. To date, three distinct classes of enamel matrix proteins have been cloned. These are the amelogenins, tuftelin, and ameloblastin, with recent data implicating ameloblast...

Amelogenesis Imperfecta (AI) is a clinical diagnosis that encompasses a group of genetic mutations, each affecting processes involved in tooth enamel formation and thus, result in various enamel defects. The hypomaturation enamel phenotype has been described for mutations involved in the later stage of enamel formation, including Klk4, Mmp20, C4orf26, and Wdr72. Using a candidate gene approach ...

Amelogenins are extracellular matrix proteins that, under physiological conditions, self-assemble into globular aggregates up to micron-sizes. Studies with periodontal fibroblasts indicate that attachment to these structures increases the endogenous secretion of multiple growth factors and cell proliferation. Pre-clinical and clinical studies indicate that cutaneous wounds benefit from treatmen...

It is well-known that amelogenin self-assembles to form nanoparticles, usually referred to as amelogenin nanospheres, despite the fact that not much is known about their actual shape in solution. In the current paper, we combine SAXS and DLS to study the three-dimensional shape of the recombinant amelogenins rP172 and rM179. Our results show for the first time that amelogenins build oblate nano...