Wise up

26 March 2009

A study at King’s College London has shown that a molecule called Wise controls tooth development by linking together signalling pathways outside cells. The researchers found that Wise, secreted by mesenchymal cells, can modulate the activity of signalling pathways in nearby epithelial cells by binding to the surface protein Lrp4; without Wise or Lrp4, extra teeth develop and teeth fuse together.

“The regulation of signalling pathways outside cells is not well understood,” says co-author Professor Paul Sharpe. “By linking two pathways together outside the cell, Wise provides cells with information about what’s happening in their surrounding environment.”

Reference

Ohazama A et al. Lrp4 modulates extracellular integration of cell signaling pathways in development. PLoS ONE 2008;3(12):e4092.