... epithelial invagination, and decreases progenitor cell proliferation and dental epithelium cell differentiation. Developmentally, Pitx2 regulates formation of the Sox2 + labial cervical loop (LaCL) stem cell niche in concert with two signaling centers: the initiation knot and enamel knot. The loss of Pitx2...

... to be defective in tabby and downless mice. We have analysed the downless mutant teeth in detail, and have traced the defect in cusp morphology back to initial defects in the structure of the tooth enamel knot at E13. Significantly, the defect is distinct from that of the tabby mutant. In the tabby mutant...

... stage (E12-E13) in the central cells of the invaginating dental epithelium suggesting involvement of cell death in epithelial budding morphogenesis. During cusp development, apoptotic cells were located in the enamel knots, which are transient clusters of dental epithelial cells proposed to act...