Originally published September 19 2005
Research looks at gene proteins that guide the formation of teeth
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The USC School of Dentistry is now studying two proteins derived from the same gene: Dentin sialoprotein (DSP) and dentin phosphoprotein (DPP), in order to better understand the formation of tooth enamel and prevent decay.
A gene critical to tooth formation expresses a protein that is then cleaved into two proteins with seemingly opposite functions, according to a USC-led team of dental researchers.
The team's study of the two proteins, dentin sialoprotein (DSP) and dentin phosphoprotein (DPP), has been accepted by the Journal of Biological Chemistry and is available on the journal's Website.
Lead author Michael Paine of the USC School of Dentistry said both proteins derive from the gene for dentin sialophosphoprotein, which plays an important role in the formation of the tooth coverings enamel and its softer internal cousin dentin.
"We were able to dissect this gene into two different proteins and look at them individually," Paine said.
The researchers conducted animal studies in which either DSP or DPP were over-expressed in forming enamel during the period of tooth development.
They found that over-expression of DSP increased the hardness of enamel and its rate of formation, while over-expression of DPP created pitted and chalky enamel that was more prone to fracture and wear.
In normal teeth, DSP is expressed only in dentin and a very thin layer of enamel at the junction with dentin.
If the protein could be incorporated into the entire layer of enamel, Paine said, "then it might act in a similar way to fluoride in water" by making teeth harder and more resistant to decay.
The fine balance between DSP and DPP highlights the delicacy of the critical dentin-enamel junction, where the softer dentin is joined securely to the outer, ceramic-like enamel covering.
Dental researchers sometimes liken dentin and enamel to a bed mattress and a glass plate, respectively, Paine said, with the difference that the supple dentin-enamel junction prevents the enamel from shattering over an individual's lifetime of chewing and grinding.
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