Protein-to-protein interactions: Criteria defining the assembly of the enamel organic matrix

M. L. Paine*, P. H. Krebsbach, L. S. Chen, C. T. Paine, Y. Yamada, D. Deutsch, M. L. Snead

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

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 ameloblastin gene expression during cementogenesis. The organic enamel extracellular matrix undergoes assembly to provide a three-dimensional array of protein domains that carry out the physiologic function of guiding enamel hydroxyapatite crystallite formation. Using the yeast two-hybrid system, we have surveyed these three known enamel gene products for their ability to direct self-assembly. We measured the capacity of the enamel gene products to direct protein-to-protein interactions, a characteristic of enamel proteins predicated to be required for self-assembly. We provide additional evidence for the self-assembly nature of amelogenin and tuftelin. Ameloblastin self-assembly could not be demonstrated, nor were protein-to-protein interactions observed between ameloblastin and either amelogenin or tuftelin. Within the limits of the yeast two-hybrid assay, these findings constrain the emerging model of enamel matrix assembly by helping to define the limits of enamel matrix protein-protein interactions that are believed to guide enamel mineral crystallite formation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)496-502
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Dental Research
Volume77
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1998
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Amelin
  • Ameloblastin
  • Amelogenin
  • Biomineralization
  • Enamel
  • Enamelin
  • Protein interactions
  • Protein matrix assembly
  • Sheathlin
  • Tooth development
  • Tuftelin
  • Yeast two-hybrid system

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Protein-to-protein interactions: Criteria defining the assembly of the enamel organic matrix'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this