《生命科学》 2012, 24(1): 19-24
摘 要：摘 要：Pitx 2 (bicoid-related transcription factor 2)属于Nodal/Sonic hedghog 信号通路，在脊椎动物的发育中通过影响细胞增殖、分化及迁移参与调控组织或器官的发育。Pitx2突变或缺失小鼠胚胎将出现一系列发育异常现象，如Pitx2突变导致小鼠肺的左右不对称、心脏的定位异常以及脑垂体和牙胚的发育异常；同时Pitx2突变也严重影响血及生殖腺的形成。目前研究发现，Pitx2包括Pitx2a、Pitx2b、 Pitx2c和Pitx2d四种亚型，其中Pitx2d亚型仅在人类颅面部被检测到其表达。Pitx2是小鼠牙胚早期发育过程中的分子标记之一，它的表达情况影响到牙胚的形成，这种重要作用在人类牙胚发育过程中是相似的。对小鼠及人类牙胚早期发育过程中Pitx2的表达，以及在小鼠牙胚中Pitx2与Fgf8、Msx1/Msx2、Bmp4、Lef1的相互调控关系进行综述。
关键词：Pitx2；牙齿发育；亚型
Abstract: Abstract: Pitx2 (bicoid-related transcription factor 2)， a member of Nodal/Sonic hedgehog signaling pathway， regulates tissue and organ growth through affecting cell proliferation， differentiation， and migration during the vertebrate embryonic development. Mutation or deficiency of Pitx2 in mouse embryo will lead to a series of aberrant development， such as lung asymmetry， cardiac positioning and pituitary and tooth abnormalities. Moreover， Pitx2 is also involved in hematopoiesis and gonad morphogenesis. According to the existing reports， Pitx2 is composed of four isoforms: Pitx2a， Pitx2b， Pitx2c and Pitx2d， among which， Pitx2d isoform is specifically expressed in human cranial facial area. At the early stage of mice tooth development， Pitx2 is one of the molecular markers in odontogenic epithelium. Its expression level is closely associated with the formation of the tooth germ， which is also the truth when referred to its roles in human tooth development. In present review， we summarize the Pitx2 expression in mouse and human tooth development， and elucidate the interrelationship of Pitx2 with Fgf8， Msx1， Msx2 and Lef1 during the mice tooth development.
Key words: Pitx2; tooth development; isoforms
