| First Author | Bartlett JD | Year | 2004 |
| Journal | J Dent Res | Volume | 83 |
| Issue | 12 | Pages | 909-13 |
| PubMed ID | 15557396 | Mgi Jnum | J:95072 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3522683 | Doi | 10.1177/154405910408301204 |
| Citation | Bartlett JD, et al. (2004) Decreased mineral content in MMP-20 null mouse enamel is prominent during the maturation stage. J Dent Res 83(12):909-13 |
| abstractText | During enamel development, matrix metalloproteinase-20 (MMP-20, enamelysin) is expressed early during the secretory stage as the enamel thickens, and kallikrein-4 (KLK-4, EMSP1) is expressed later during the maturation stage as the enamel hardens. Thus, we investigated whether the physical properties of the secretory-/maturation-stage MMP-20 null enamel were significantly different from those of controls. We demonstrated that although, in relative terms, the weight percent of mature mineral in the MMP-20 null mouse enamel was only 7-16% less than that in controls, overall the enamel mineral was reduced by about 50%, and its hardness was decreased by 37%. Percent mineral content by weight was assessed at 3 different developmental stages. Remarkably, the biggest difference in mineral content between MMP-20 null and controls occurred in the nearly mature enamel, when MMP-20 is normally no longer expressed. This suggests that MMP-20 acts either directly or indirectly to facilitate the removal of maturation-stage enamel proteins. |
