Faculty, Staff and Student Publications
Language
English
Publication Date
5-13-2026
Journal
Nature Communications
DOI
10.1038/s41467-026-72712-1
PMID
42129164
PMCID
PMC13376515
PubMedCentral® Posted Date
5-13-2026
PubMedCentral® Full Text Version
Post-print
Abstract
Cementum is a specialized mineralized tissue that covers the tooth root surface and anchors the tooth to the surrounding periodontal ligament. The cervical acellular cementum (AC) is indispensable for periodontal attachment and represents a key target for periodontal regenerative therapies. However, the developmental origin and molecular identity of AC-forming cementoblasts remain poorly understood. Here, through an integrated spatial and single-cell transcriptomic analysis, we identify AC-forming cementoblasts as a distinct population of noncanonical mineralizing cells enriched for cell-matrix organization and Wnt signaling signatures, distinguishing them from cellular cementum-forming cementoblasts localized in the apical portion. Lineage tracing using a Wnt inhibitory factor 1 (Wif1-creER) demonstrates that AC-forming cementoblasts originate exclusively from peri-epithelial apical Wif1+ cells of the elongating tooth root via canonical Wnt signaling activation. Collectively, our findings uncover the unique ontogeny and molecular signature of acellular cementum, providing insights into the formation and maintenance of the periodontal attachment apparatus.
Keywords
Dental Cementum, Animals, Tooth Root, Wnt Signaling Pathway, Mice, Periodontal Ligament, Cementogenesis, Gene Expression Profiling, Bone development, Mesoderm
Published Open-Access
yes
Recommended Citation
Komori, Taishi; Nagata, Mizuki; Praneetpong, Natnicha; et al., "Wnt-Dependent Ontogeny of Acellular Cementum-Forming Cementoblasts on the Tooth Root Surface" (2026). Faculty, Staff and Student Publications. 205.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/uthdb_docs/205