<i>MMP20</i>,<i> KLK4,</i> and <i>MMP20/KLK4</i> double null mice define roles for matrix proteases during dental enamel formation
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Matrix metalloproteinase 20 (MMP20) and kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (KLK4) are secreted proteinases that are essential for proper dental enamel formation. We characterized and compared enamel formed in wild-type, Mmp20 (-/-), Klk4 (-/-), Mmp20 (+/-) Klk4 (+/-), and Mmp20 (-/-) Klk4 (-/-) mice using dissecting and light microscopy, backscattered scanning electron microscopy (bSEM), SEM, microcomputed tomography (μCT), and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX). Following eruption, fractures were observed on Mmp20 (-/-), Klk4 (-/-), Mmp20 (+/-) Klk4 (+/-), and Mmp20 (-/-) Klk4 (-/-) molars. Failure of the enamel in the Mmp20 (+/-) Klk4 (+/-) molars was unexpected and suggested that digenic effects could contribute to the etiology of amelogenesis imperfecta in humans. Micro-CT analyses of hemimandibles demonstrated significantly reduced high-density enamel volume in the Mmp20 (-/-) and Klk4 (-/-) mice relative to the wild-type, which was further reduced in Mmp20 (-/-) Klk4 (-/-) mice. bSEM images of 7-week Mmp20 (-/-) and Mmp20 (-/-) Klk4 (-/-) mandibular incisors showed rough, pitted enamel surfaces with numerous indentations and protruding nodules. The Mmp20 (+/-) and Mmp20 (+/-) Klk4 (+/-) incisors showed prominent, evenly spaced, horizontal ridges that were more distinct in Mmp20 (+/-) Klk4 (+/-) incisors relative to Mmp20 (+/-) incisors due to the darkening of the valleys between the ridges. In cross sections, the Mmp20 (-/-) and Mmp20 (-/-) Klk4 (-/-) exhibited three distinct layers. The outer layer exhibited a disturbed elemental composition and an irregular enamel surface covered with nodules. The Mmp20 null enamel was apparently unable to withstand the sheer forces associated with eruption and separated from dentin during development. Cells invaded the cracks and interposed between the dentin and enamel layers. MMP20 and KLK4 serve overlapping and complementary functions to harden enamel by removing protein, but MMP20 potentially serves multiple additional functions necessary for the adherence of enamel to dentin, the release of intercellular protein stores into the enamel matrix, the retreat of ameloblasts to facilitate thickening of the enamel layer, and the timely transition of ameloblasts to maturation.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.003 | 0.001 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".