November 12, 2004
As a tooth develops from its bud, an organic matrix forms that gradually crystallizes into tooth enamel. This process destroys nearly all traces of the matrix proteins and any clues about how they are assembled into their lattice-like structure, key information in understanding tooth formation. In the October 22 issue of the journal Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, a team of NIDCR scientists and grantees report for the first time the proteins amelogenin and ameloblastin do indeed interact in the matrix before mineralization proceeds.