Shh and ROCK1 modulate the dynamic epithelial morphogenesis in circumvallate papilla development

Development of ectodermal and endodermal taste buds

The sense of taste is mediated primarily by taste buds on the tongue. These multicellular sensory organs are induced, patterned and become innervated during embryogenesis such that a functional taste system is present at birth when animals begin to feed. While taste buds have been considered ectodermal appendages, this is only partly accurate as only fungiform taste buds in the anterior tongue arise from the ectoderm. Taste buds found in the posterior tongue actually derive from endoderm. Nonetheless, both anterior and posterior buds are functionally similar, despite their disparate embryonic origins. In this review, I compare the development of ectodermal vs endodermal taste buds, highlighting the many differences in the cellular and molecular genetic mechanisms governing their formation.

The duct of von Ebner's glands is a source of Sox10 + taste bud progenitors and susceptible to pathogen infections

Introduction

We have recently demonstrated that Sox10-expressing (Sox10 +) cells give rise to mainly type-III neuronal taste bud cells that are responsible for sour and salt taste. The two tissue compartments containing Sox10 + cells in the surrounding of taste buds include the connective tissue core of taste papillae and von Ebner's glands (vEGs) that are connected to the trench of circumvallate and foliate papillae.

Methods

In this study, we performed single cell RNA-sequencing of the epithelium of Sox10-Cre/tdT mouse circumvallate/vEG complex and used inducible Cre mouse models to map the cell lineages of vEGs and/or connective tissue (including stromal and Schwann cells).

Results

Transcriptomic analysis indicated that Sox10 expression was enriched in the cell clusters of vEG ducts that contained abundant proliferating cells, while Sox10-Cre/tdT expression was enriched in type-III taste bud cells and vEG ductal cells. In vivo lineage mapping showed that the traced cells were distributed in circumvallate taste buds concurrently with those in the vEGs, but not in the connective tissue. Moreover, multiple genes encoding pathogen receptors were enriched in the vEG ducts hosting Sox10 + cells.

Discussion

Our data supports that it is the vEGs, not connective tissue core, that serve as the niche of Sox10 + taste bud progenitors. If this is also true in humans, our data indicates that vEG duct is a source of Sox10 + taste bud progenitors and susceptible to pathogen infections.

Sonic hedgehog signaling in craniofacial development

Mutations in SHH and several other genes encoding components of the Hedgehog signaling pathway have been associated with holoprosencephaly syndromes, with craniofacial anomalies ranging in severity from cyclopia to facial cleft to midfacial and mandibular hypoplasia. Studies in animal models have revealed that SHH signaling plays crucial roles at multiple stages of craniofacial morphogenesis, from cranial neural crest cell survival to growth and patterning of the facial primordia to organogenesis of the palate, mandible, tongue, tooth, and taste bud formation and homeostasis. This article provides a summary of the major findings in studies of the roles of SHH signaling in craniofacial development, with emphasis on recent advances in the understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the SHH signaling pathway activity and those involving SHH signaling in the formation and patterning of craniofacial structures.

The effects of 4-Phenylbutyric acid on ER stress during mouse tooth development

Introduction: During tooth development, proper protein folding and trafficking are significant processes as newly synthesized proteins proceed to form designated tissues. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress occurs inevitably in tooth development as unfolded and misfolded proteins accumulate in ER. 4-Phenylbutyric acid (4PBA) is a FDA approved drug and known as a chemical chaperone which alleviates the ER stress. Recently, several studies showed that 4PBA performs therapeutic effects in some genetic diseases due to misfolding of proteins, metabolic related-diseases and apoptosis due to ER stress. However, the roles of 4PBA during odontogenesis are not elucidated. This study revealed the effects of 4PBA during molar development in mice. Methods: We employed in vitro organ cultivation and renal transplantation methods which would mimic the permanent tooth development in an infant period of human. The in vitro cultivated tooth germs and renal calcified teeth were examined by histology and immunohistochemical analysis. Results and Discussion: Our results revealed that treatment of 4PBA altered expression patterns of enamel knot related signaling molecules, and consequently affected cellular secretion and patterned formation of dental hard tissues including dentin and enamel during tooth morphogenesis. The alteration of ER stress by 4PBA treatment during organogenesis would suggest that proper ER stress is important for pattern formation during tooth development and morphogenesis, and 4PBA as a chemical chaperone would be one of the candidate molecules for dental and hard tissue regeneration.

The sense of taste: Development, regeneration, and dysfunction

Gustation or the sense of taste is a primary sense, which functions as a gatekeeper for substances that enter the body. Animals, including humans, ingest foods that contain appetitive taste stimuli, including those that have sweet, moderately salty and umami (glutamate) components, and tend to avoid bitter-tasting items, as many bitter compounds are toxic. Taste is mediated by clusters of heterogeneous taste receptors cells (TRCs) organized as taste buds on the tongue, and these convey taste information from the oral cavity to higher order brain centers via the gustatory sensory neurons of the seventh and ninth cranial ganglia. One remarkable aspect of taste is that taste perception is mostly uninterrupted throughout life yet TRCs within buds are constantly renewed; every 1-2 months all taste cells have been steadily replaced. In the past decades we have learned a substantial amount about the cellular and molecular regulation of taste bud cell renewal, and how taste buds are initially established during embryogenesis. Here I review more recent findings pertaining to taste development and regeneration, as well as discuss potential mechanisms underlying taste dysfunction that often occurs with disease or its treatment. This article is categorized under: Infectious Diseases > Stem Cells and Development Cancer > Stem Cells and Development Neurological Diseases > Stem Cells and Development.

Fine-tuning of epithelial taste bud organoid to promote functional recapitulation of taste reactivity

Taste stem/progenitor cells from posterior mouse tongues have been used to generate taste bud organoids. However, the inaccessible location of taste receptor cells is observed in conventional organoids. In this study, we established a suspension-culture method to fine-tune taste bud organoids by apicobasal polarity alteration to form the accessible localization of taste receptor cells. Compared to conventional Matrigel-embedded organoids, suspension-cultured organoids showed comparable differentiation and renewal rates to those of taste buds in vivo and exhibited functional taste receptor cells and cycling progenitor cells. Accessible taste receptor cells enabled the direct application of calcium imaging to evaluate the taste response. Moreover, suspension-cultured organoids can be genetically altered. Suspension-cultured taste bud organoids harmoniously integrated with the recipient lingual epithelium, maintaining the taste receptor cells and gustatory innervation capacity. We propose that suspension-cultured organoids may provide an efficient model for taste research, including taste bud development, regeneration, and transplantation.

Nkx2-2 expressing taste cells in endoderm-derived taste papillae are committed to the type III lineage

In mammals, multiple cell-signaling pathways and transcription factors regulate development of the embryonic taste system and turnover of taste cells in the adult stage. Using single-cell RNA-Seq of mouse taste cells, we found that the homeobox-containing transcription factor Nkx2-2, a target of the Sonic Hedgehog pathway and a key regulator of the development and regeneration of multiple cell types in the body, is highly expressed in type III taste cells but not in type II or taste stem cells. Using in situ hybridization and immunostaining, we confirmed that Nkx2-2 is expressed specifically in type III taste cells in the endoderm-derived circumvallate and foliate taste papillae but not in the ectoderm-derived fungiform papillae. Lineage tracing revealed that Nkx2-2-expressing cells differentiate into type III, but not type II or type I cells in circumvallate and foliate papillae. Neonatal Nkx2-2-knockout mice did not express key type III taste cell marker genes, while the expression of type II and type I taste cell marker genes were unaffected in these mice. Our findings indicate that Nkx2-2-expressing cells are committed to the type III lineage and that Nkx2-2 may be critical for the development of type III taste cells in the posterior tongue, thus illustrating a key difference in the mechanism of type III cell lineage specification between ectoderm- and endoderm-derived taste fields.

Implications of the specific localization of YAP signaling on the epithelial patterning of circumvallate papilla

Circumvallate papilla (CVP) is a distinctively structured with dome-shaped apex, and the surrounding trench which contains over two hundred taste buds on the lateral walls. Although CVP was extensively studied to determine the regulatory mechanisms during organogenesis, it still remains to be elucidated the principle mechanisms of signaling regulations on morphogenesis including taste buds formation. The key role of Yes-associated protein (YAP) in the regulation of organ size and cell proliferation in vertebrates is well understood, but little is known about the role of this signaling pathway in CVP development. We aimed to determine the putative roles of YAP signaling in the epithelial patterning during CVP morphogenesis. To evaluate the precise localization patterns of YAP and other related signaling molecules, including β-catenin, Ki67, cytokeratins, and PGP9.5, in CVP tissue, histology and immunohistochemistry were employed at E16 and adult mice. Our results suggested that there are specific localization patterns of YAP and Wnt signaling molecules in developing and adult CVP. These concrete localization patterns would provide putative involvements of YAP and Wnt signaling for proper epithelial cell differentiation including the formation and maintenance of taste buds.

Action of Actomyosin Contraction With Shh Modulation Drive Epithelial Folding in the Circumvallate Papilla

The mouse tongue possesses three types of gustatory papillae: large circumvallate papillae (CVP), foliate papillae (FOP) and fungiform papillae (FFP). Although CVP is the largest papilla and contain a high density of taste buds, little is known about CVP development. Their transition from placode to dome-shape is particularly ambiguous. Understanding this phase is crucial since dome-shaped morphology is essential for proper localization of the imminent nerve fibers and taste buds. Here, we report actomyosin-dependent apical and basal constriction of epithelial cells during dynamic epithelial folding. Furthermore, actomyosin-dependent basal constriction requires focal adhesion kinase to guide dome-shape formation. Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is closely associated with the differentiation or survival of the neurons in CVP ganglion and cytoskeletal alteration in trench epithelial cells which regulate CVP morphogenesis. Our results demonstrate the CVP morphogenesis mechanism from placode to dome-shape by actomyosin-dependent cell shape change and suggest roles that Shh may play in trench and stromal core formation during CVP development.

Signaling Modulations of miR-206-3p in Tooth Morphogenesis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of naturally occurring small non-coding RNAs that post-transcriptionally regulate gene expression in organisms. Most mammalian miRNAs influence biological processes, including developmental changes, tissue morphogenesis and the maintenance of tissue identity, cell growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and metabolism. The miR-206-3p has been correlated with cancer; however, developmental roles of this miRNA are unclear. In this study, we examined the expression pattern and evaluated the developmental regulation of miR-206-3p during tooth morphogenesis using ex-vivo culture method. The expression pattern of miR-206-3p was examined in the epithelium and mesenchyme of developing tooth germ with stage-specific manners. Perturbation of the expression of miR-206-3p clearly altered expression patterns of dental-development-related signaling molecules, including Axin2, Bmp2, Fgf4, Lef1 and Shh. The gene expression complemented with change in cellular events including, apoptosis and proliferation which caused altered crown and pulp morphogenesis in renal-capsule-calcified teeth. Especially, mislocalization of β-Catenin and SMAD1/5/8 were observed alongside dramatic alterations in the expression patterns of Fgf4 and Shh. Overall, our data suggest that the miR-206-3p regulate the cellular physiology during tooth morphogenesis through modulation of the Wnt, Bmp, Fgf, and Shh signaling pathways to form proper tooth pulp and crown.

FGF10 Is Required for Circumvallate Papilla Morphogenesis by Maintaining Lgr5 Activity

Taste buds develop in different regions of the mammal oral cavity. Adult stem cells in various organs including the tongue papillae are marked by leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) and its homolog, Lgr6. Recent studies have reported that adult taste stem/progenitor cells in circumvallate papilla (CVP) on the posterior tongue are Lgr5-positive. In this study, we confirm the Lgr5 expression pattern during CVP development. A previous study reported that mesenchymal Fgf10 is necessary for maintaining epithelial Lgr5-positive stem/progenitor cells. To confirm the interaction between Lgr5-positive CVP epithelium and mesenchymal factor FGF10, reverse recombination (180-degree) was performed after tongue epithelium detachment. FGF10 protein-soaked bead implantation was performed after reverse recombination to rescue CVP development. Moreover, we reduced mesenchymal Fgf10 by BIO and SU5402 treatment which disrupted CVP morphogenesis. This study suggests that the crosstalk between epithelial Lgr5 and mesenchymal Fgf10 plays a pivotal role in CVP epithelium invagination during mouse tongue CVP development by maintaining Lgr5-positive stem/progenitor cells.

An Update on the Sense of Taste in Chickens: A Better Developed System than Previously Appreciated

Taste is important in guiding nutritive choices and motivating food intake. The sensory organs for taste are the taste buds, that transduce gustatory stimuli into neural signals. It has been reported that chickens have a low taste bud number and thus low taste acuity. However, more recent studies indicate that chickens have a well-developed taste system and the reported number and distribution of taste buds may have been significantly underestimated. Chickens, as a well-established animal model for research, are also the major species of animals in the poultry industry. Thus, a clear understanding of taste organ formation and the effects of taste sensation on nutrition and feeding practices is important for improving livestock production strategies. In this review, we provide an update on recent findings in chicken taste buds and taste sensation indicating that the chicken taste organ is better developed than previously thought and can serve as an ideal system for multidisciplinary studies including organogenesis, regenerative medicine, feeding and nutritional choices.

Gli3 is a negative regulator of Tas1r3-expressing taste cells

Mouse taste receptor cells survive from 3-24 days, necessitating their regeneration throughout adulthood. In anterior tongue, sonic hedgehog (SHH), released by a subpopulation of basal taste cells, regulates transcription factors Gli2 and Gli3 in stem cells to control taste cell regeneration. Using single-cell RNA-Seq we found that Gli3 is highly expressed in Tas1r3-expressing taste receptor cells and Lgr5+ taste stem cells in posterior tongue. By PCR and immunohistochemistry we found that Gli3 was expressed in taste buds in all taste fields. Conditional knockout mice lacking Gli3 in the posterior tongue (Gli3CKO) had larger taste buds containing more taste cells than did control wild-type (Gli3WT) mice. In comparison to wild-type mice, Gli3CKO mice had more Lgr5+ and Tas1r3+ cells, but fewer type III cells. Similar changes were observed ex vivo in Gli3CKO taste organoids cultured from Lgr5+ taste stem cells. Further, the expression of several taste marker and Gli3 target genes was altered in Gli3CKO mice and/or organoids. Mirroring these changes, Gli3CKO mice had increased lick responses to sweet and umami stimuli, decreased lick responses to bitter and sour taste stimuli, and increased glossopharyngeal taste nerve responses to sweet and bitter compounds. Our results indicate that Gli3 is a suppressor of stem cell proliferation that affects the number and function of mature taste cells, especially Tas1r3+ cells, in adult posterior tongue. Our findings shed light on the role of the Shh pathway in adult taste cell regeneration and may help devise strategies for treating taste distortions from chemotherapy and aging.

RNA-Seq analysis on chicken taste sensory organs: An ideal system to study organogenesis

RNA-Seq is a powerful tool in transcriptomic profiling of cells and tissues. We recently identified many more taste buds than previously appreciated in chickens using molecular markers to stain oral epithelial sheets of the palate, base of oral cavity, and posterior tongue. In this study, RNA-Seq was performed to understand the transcriptomic architecture of chicken gustatory tissues. Interestingly, taste sensation related genes and many more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were found between the epithelium and mesenchyme in the base of oral cavity as compared to the palate and posterior tongue. Further RNA-Seq using specifically defined tissues of the base of oral cavity demonstrated that DEGs between gustatory (GE) and non-gustatory epithelium (NGE), and between GE and the underlying mesenchyme (GM) were enriched in multiple GO terms and KEGG pathways, including many biological processes. Well-known genes for taste sensation were highly expressed in the GE. Moreover, genes of signaling components important in organogenesis (Wnt, TGFβ/ BMP, FGF, Notch, SHH, Erbb) were differentially expressed between GE and GM. Combined with other features of chicken taste buds, e.g., uniquely patterned array and short turnover cycle, our data suggest that chicken gustatory tissue provides an ideal system for multidisciplinary studies, including organogenesis and regenerative medicine.

Involvement of PI3K and PKA pathways in mouse tongue epithelial differentiation

In mice, tongue epithelial differentiation is mainly regulated by the interactions among various signalling molecules including Fgf signalling pathways. However, the subsequent signalling modulations for epithelial maturation, initiated by Fgf signalling, remain to be elucidated. Therefore, we employed an in vitro tongue organ cultivation system along with the applications of various pharmacological inhibitors against the intracellular signalling molecules of Fgf signalling pathways, including H89, LY294002, PD98059, and U0126. Following treatments with LY294002 and H89, inhibitors for PI3K and PKA, respectively, the decreased thickness of the tongue epithelium was observed along with the alteration in cell proliferative and apoptotic patterns. Meanwhile, cultivated tongues treated with MEK inhibitor U0126 or PD98059 showed significantly decreased cell proliferation in the tongue epithelium and the mesenchyme. Based on these results, we suggest that the tongue epithelium is differentiated into multiple epithelial cell layers via the PI3K and PKA pathways in tissue-specific manner during the epithelial-mesenchymal interactions.

Nerve-independent and ectopically additional induction of taste buds in organ culture of fetal tongues

An improved organ culture system allowed to observe morphogenesis of mouse lingual papillae and taste buds relatively for longer period, in which fetal tongues were analyzed for 6 d. Taste cells were defined as eosinophobic epithelial cells expressing CK8 and Sox2 within lingual epithelium. Addition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta inhibitor CHIR99021 induced many taste cells and buds in non-gustatory and gustatory stratified lingual epithelium. The present study clearly demonstrated induction of taste cells and buds ectopically and without innervation.

Effects of perinatal undernutrition on the circumvallate papilla of developing Wistar rats

During the gestation and the lactating periods the gustatory papillae contain taste buds that respond to different flavors and aversive stimuli. The current study analyzed the effects of pre-and neonatal undernutrition on the circumvallate papillae of rats at 12, 20, and 30days of age. Early undernourishment occurred from gestational days G6 to G19 when dams received low percentages of food followed by a balanced diet from G20-21. After birth pups were underfed by rotating two lactating dams every 12h; in one of them, the nipples were tied. The pups were weaned at 25days of age, and then given an ad libitum diet. Under anesthesia the tongues were removed and stained with the hematoxylin-eosin (H-E) procedure. The results indicated that young underfed rats had significantly body weight reductions. The tongue measurements in underfed rats showed reduced total area and length of the anterior portion, but there were negligible effects on the posterior portion. The circumvallate papillae in underfed rats was significantly reduced in major length, major diameter, and total and upper areas, but unaffected in the lateral wall trench region. The taste bud areas and minor diameter were unaffected by undernutrition, but there were significant reductions in the total number of visible taste buds and the major diameter, delayed opening of taste bud pores, and an increased number of closed pores were also observed. These alterations by undernutrition reflect the vulnerability of structures in the gustatory oral cavity and suggest a possible interference with the receptorś activation, and transduction and perhaps with the taste encoding of signals to generate the gustatory sensory and hedonic responses.

Lingual Epithelial Stem Cells and Organoid Culture of Them

As tongue cancer is one of the major malignant cancers in the world, understanding the mechanism of maintenance of lingual epithelial tissue, which is known to be the origin of tongue cancer, is unquestionably important. However, the actual stem cells that are responsible for the long-term maintenance of the lingual epithelium have not been identified. Moreover, a simple and convenient culture method for lingual epithelial stem cells has not yet been established. Recently, we have shown that Bmi1-positive cells, residing at the second or third layer of the epithelial cell layer at the base of the interpapillary pit (IPP), were slow-cycling and could supply keratinized epithelial cells for over one year, indicating that Bmi1-positive cells are long-term lingual epithelial stem cells. In addition, we have developed a novel lingual epithelium organoid culture system using a three-dimensional matrix and growth factors. Here, we discuss current progress in the identification of lingual stem cells and future applications of the lingual culture system for studying the regulatory mechanisms of the lingual epithelium and for regenerative medicine.

Embryonic tongue morphogenesis in an organ culture model of mouse mandibular arches: blocking Sonic hedgehog signaling leads to microglossia

Mouse tongue development is initiated with the formation of lateral lingual swellings just before fusion between the mediodorsal surfaces of the mandibular arches at around embryonic day 11.0. Here, we investigated the role of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling in embryonic mouse tongue morphogenesis. For this, we used an organ culture model of the mandibular arches from mouse embryos at embryonic day 10.5. When the Shh signaling inhibitor jervine was added to the culture medium for 24-96 h, the formation of lateral lingual swellings and subsequent epithelial invagination into the mesenchyme were impaired markedly, leading to a hypoplastic tongue with an incomplete oral sulcus. Notably, jervine treatment reduced the proliferation of non-myogenic mesenchymal cells at the onset of forming the lateral lingual swellings, whereas it did not affect the proliferation and differentiation of a myogenic cell lineage, which created a cell community at the central circumferential region of the lateral lingual swellings as seen in vivo and in control cultures lacking the inhibitor. Thus, epithelium-derived Shh signaling stimulates the proliferation of non-myogenic mesenchymal cells essential for forming lateral lingual swellings and contributes to epithelial invagination into the mesenchyme during early tongue development.

Contribution of mesenchymal proliferation in tooth root morphogenesis

In mouse tooth development, the roots of the first lower molar develop after crown formation to form 2 cylindrical roots by post-natal day 5. This study compared the morphogenesis and cellular events of the mesial-root-forming (MRF) and bifurcation-forming (BF) regions, located in the mesial and center of the first lower molar, to better define the developmental mechanisms involved in multi-rooted tooth formation. We found that the mesenchyme in the MRF showed relatively higher proliferation than the bifurcation region. This suggested that spatially regulated mesenchymal proliferation is required for creating cylindrical root structure. The mechanism may involve the mesenchyme forming a physical barrier to epithelial invagination of Hertwig's epithelial root sheath. To test these ideas, we cultured roots in the presence of pharmacological inhibitors of microtubule and actin polymerization, nocodazole and cytochalasin-D. Cytochalasin D also inhibits proliferation in epithelium and mesenchyme. Both drugs resulted in altered morphological changes in the tooth root structures. In particular, the nocodazole- and cytochalasin-D-treated specimens showed a loss of root diameter and formation of a single-root, respectively. Immunolocalization and three-dimensional reconstruction results confirmed these mesenchymal cellular events, with higher proliferation in MRF in multi-rooted tooth formation.

Bmp signalling in filiform tongue papillae development

OBJECTIVE

Tongue papillae are critical organs in mastication. There are four different types of tongue papillae; fungiform, circumvallate, foliate, and filiform papillae. Unlike the other three taste papillae, non-gustatory papillae, filiform papillae cover the entire dorsal surface of the tongue and are important structures for the mechanical stress of sucking. Filiform papillae are further classified into two subtypes with different morphologies, depending on their location on the dorsum of the tongue. The filiform papillae at the intermolar eminence have pointed tips, whereas filiform papillae with rounded tips are found in other regions (anterior tongue). It remains unknown how the shape of each type of filiform papillae are determined during their development. Bmp signalling pathway has been known to regulate mechanisms that determine the shapes of many ectodermal organs. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Bmp signalling in filiform papillae development.

DESIGN

Comparative in situ hybridization analysis of six Bmps (Bmp2-Bmp7) and two Bmpr genes (Bmpr1a and Bmpr1b) were carried out in filiform papillae development. We further examined tongue papillae in mice over-expressing Noggin under the keratin14 promoter (K14-Noggin).

RESULTS

We identified a dynamic temporo-spatial expression of Bmps in filiform papillae development. The K14-Noggin mice showed pointed filiform papillae in regions of the tongue normally occupied by the rounded type.

CONCLUSIONS

Bmp signalling thus regulates the shape of filiform papillae.

Morphological evidences in circumvallate papilla and von Ebners' gland development in mice

In rodents, the circumvallate papilla (CVP), with its underlying minor salivary gland, the von Ebners' gland (VEG), is located on the dorsal surface of the posterior tongue. Detailed morphological processes to form the proper structure of CVP and VEG have not been properly elucidated. In particular, the specific localization patterns of taste buds in CVP and the branching formation of VEG have not yet been elucidated. To understand the developmental mechanisms underlying CVP and VEG formation, detailed histological observations of CVP and VEG were examined using a three-dimensional computer-aided reconstruction method with serial histological sections and pan-Cytokeratins immunostainings. In addition, to define the developmental processes in CVP and VEG formation, we examined nerve innervations and cell proliferation using microinjections of AM1-43 and immunostainings with various markers, including phosphoinositide 3-kinase, Ki-67, PGP9.5, and Ulex europaeus agglutinin 1 (UEA1). Results revealed specific morphogenesis of CVP and VEG with nerve innervations patterns, evaluated by the coincided localization patterns of AM1-43 and UEA1. Based on these morphological and immunohistochemical results, we suggest that nerve innervations and cell proliferations play important roles in the positioning of taste buds in CVP and branching morphogenesis of VEG in tongue development.

Development of gustatory papillae in the absence of Six1 and Six4

Six family genes encode homeobox transcription factors, and a deficiency in them leads to abnormal structures of the sensory organs. In a previous paper, Six1 was reported to be expressed in the taste bud-bearing lingual papillae of mice, and loss of Six1 affected the development of these gustatory papillae. We show here that embryos lacking both Six1 and Six4 revealed more severe abnormalities than those lacking Six1 alone during morphogenesis of their gustatory papillae. By in situ hybridization, Six4 was shown to be broadly distributed in the epithelium of the lateral lingual swellings at embryonic day (E) 11.5, and in the tongue epithelium, mesenchyme, and muscles at E12.5. From E14, Six4 was similar in expression pattern to Six1, as previously reported. In the fungiform papillae, Six4 was expressed in the epithelium at E14-E16.5. In the circumvallate and foliate papillae, Six4 expression was observed in the trench wall of these papillae at E15.5-P0. Although Six4-deficient mice had no abnormalities, Six1/Six4-deficient mice showed distinct morphological changes: fusion of the lateral lingual swellings was delayed, and the tongue was poorly developed. The primordia of fungiform papillae appeared earlier than those in the wild-type or Six1-deficient mice, and the papillae rapidly increased in size; thus fusion of each papilla was evident. The circumvallate papillae showed severe defects; for example, invagination of the trenches started asymmetrically, which resulted in longer and shorter trenches. The foliate papillae elevated initially, and showed stunted trenches. Therefore, Six1 and Six4 function synergistically to form gustatory papillae during development of the tongue.

Dissecting the PCP pathway: one or more pathways?: Does a separate Wnt-Fz-Rho pathway drive morphogenesis?

Planar cell polarity (PCP), the alignment of cells within 2D tissue planes, involves a set of core molecular regulators highly conserved between animals and cell types. These include the transmembrane proteins Frizzled (Fz) and VanGogh and the cytoplasmic regulators Dishevelled (Dsh) and Prickle. It is widely accepted that this core forms part of a 'PCP pathway' for signal transduction, which can affect cell morphology through activation of an evolutionary ancient regulatory module involving Rho family GTPases and Myosin II, and/or the JNK kinase cascade. We have re-examined the evidence for interactions between the proposed PCP pathway components, and question the placing of the cell morphology regulators in the same pathway as the PCP core. While Fz and Dsh are clearly involved in both PCP and Rho-based cell morphology regulation, available evidence cannot currently discriminate whether these processes are linked mechanistically by a shared Fz/Dsh population, or pass by two distinct pathways.

FGF signaling regulates the number of posterior taste papillae by controlling progenitor field size

The sense of taste is fundamental to our ability to ingest nutritious substances and to detect and avoid potentially toxic ones. Sensory taste buds are housed in papillae that develop from epithelial placodes. Three distinct types of gustatory papillae reside on the rodent tongue: small fungiform papillae are found in the anterior tongue, whereas the posterior tongue contains the larger foliate papillae and a single midline circumvallate papilla (CVP). Despite the great variation in the number of CVPs in mammals, its importance in taste function, and its status as the largest of the taste papillae, very little is known about the development of this structure. Here, we report that a balance between Sprouty (Spry) genes and Fgf10, which respectively antagonize and activate receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling, regulates the number of CVPs. Deletion of Spry2 alone resulted in duplication of the CVP as a result of an increase in the size of the placode progenitor field, and Spry1^−/−;Spry2^−/− embryos had multiple CVPs, demonstrating the redundancy of Sprouty genes in regulating the progenitor field size. By contrast, deletion of Fgf10 led to absence of the CVP, identifying FGF10 as the first inductive, mesenchyme-derived factor for taste papillae. Our results provide the first demonstration of the role of epithelial-mesenchymal FGF signaling in taste papilla development, indicate that regulation of the progenitor field size by FGF signaling is a critical determinant of papilla number, and suggest that the great variation in CVP number among mammalian species may be linked to levels of signaling by the FGF pathway.

The sense of taste is important for an animal's ability to survive and thrive, because it enables discrimination between nutritious substances and toxins. Taste buds are housed largely on the tongue in structures called papillae; of the three types of gustatory papillae, the circumvallate papilla (CVP) is the largest. In rodents, a single CVP is located in the posterior midline of the tongue housing hundreds of taste buds, whereas in other mammals up to dozens of CVPs can be found. However, despite the great variation in the number of CVPs in mammals, its status as the largest of the taste papillae, and its importance in taste function, very little is known about its development. We identified members of the FGF signaling pathway as determinants of CVP number. We propose that perturbations to the FGF signaling pathway may have been involved in the dramatic differences in CVP number that arose during mammalian evolution.

Wnt signaling in the murine diastema

The correct number and shape of teeth are critical factors for an aesthetic and functional dentition. Understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating tooth number and shape are therefore important in orthodontics. Mice have only one incisor and three molars in each jaw quadrant that are divided by a tooth-less region, the diastema. Although mice lost teeth in the diastema during evolution, the remnants of the evolutionary lost teeth are observed as transient epithelial buds in the wild-type diastema during early stages of development. Shh and Fgf signaling pathways that are essential for tooth development have been shown to be repressed in the diastema. It remains unclear however how Wnt signaling, that is also required for tooth development, is regulated in the diastema. In this study we found that in the embryonic diastema, Wnt5a expression was observed in mesenchyme, whereas Wnt4 and Wnt10b were expressed in epithelium. The expression of Wnt6 and Wnt11 was found in both tissues. The Wnt co-receptor, Lrp6, was weakly expressed in the diastema overlapping with weak Lrp4 expression, a co-receptor that inhibits Wnt signaling. Secreted Wnt inihibitors Dkk1, Dkk2, and Dkk3 were also expressed in the diastema. Lrp4 mutant mice develop supernumerary teeth in the diastema that is accompanied by upregulation of Wnt signaling and Lrp6 expression. Wnt signaling is thus usually attenuated in the diastema by these secreted and membrane bound Wnt inhibitors.

Importance of region-specific epithelial rearrangements in mouse rugae development

Epithelial appendages on palatal rugae develop during mouse palatogenesis through epithelial thickening and pattern formation. Recently, the patterned formation of nine rugae was observed together with the specific expression patterns of Shh in rodents. However, no crucial evidence was found for a direct association between Shh expression and the distinct structural formation of rugae. In order to reveal possible relationships, we investigated the morphological changes of rugae and expression patterns of Shh directly by in vitro organ culture at embryonic day 13 (E13) for 2 days. To compare and examine the diverse growing aspects of the palate and rugae, we carefully observed the detailed morphogenesis, with cell proliferation of the rugae occurring between E13 and E14.5. After 2 days of cultivation at E13, DiI micro-injections revealed that the middle part of the palate, adjacent to the upper molar-forming region, contributed to the formation of the subsequent structure of rugae by extensive cell rearrangement and proliferation within the epithelium in the preferred anteroposterior direction. The results also defined the intimate relationship between Shh expression and rugae formation.

Defects and rescue of the minor salivary glands in Eda pathway mutants

Despite their importance to oral health, the mechanisms of minor salivary gland (SG) development are largely unexplored. Here we present in vivo and in vitro analyses of developing minor SGs in wild type and mutant mice. Eda, Shh and Fgf signalling pathway genes are expressed in these glands from an early stage of development. Developing minor SGs are absent in Eda pathway mutant embryos, and these mice exhibit a dysplastic circumvallate papilla with disrupted Shh expression. Supplementation of Eda pathway mutant minor SG explants with recombinant EDA rescues minor SG induction. Supplementation with Fgf8 or Shh, previously reported targets of Eda signalling, leads to induction of gland like structures in a few cases, but these fail to develop into minor SGs.