Molecular control of dentinogenesis: a reaction.

This paper represents an invited reaction to three papers presented at the International Conference on Pathobiology of the Dentin/Pulp Complex, June, 1991. Repair dentinogenesis following transplantation into normal and germs free animals are correlated with results elucidating the expression of dentin phosphoproteins, collagen, and osteocalcin. The importance of transcription and translation controls of dentin matrix components are discussed and reviewed. In addition, possible implications of a molecular chaperone protein, Hsp47, in controlling dentinogenesis is introduced. Future research directions are developed and include: (a) identification of odontoblast precursors; (b) delineation of markers for odontoblasts at varying degrees of differentiation; (c) characterization of environmental conditions leading to odontoblast differentiation; (d) determination of the nature of repair and regenerated tissues; (e) elucidation of transcription and translation control factors, and (f) mapping the human genome for dentin matrix constituents.