BEN/DM-GRASP/SC1 expression during mouse facial development: differential expression and regulation in molars and incisors.

The cell adhesion molecule BEN/DM-GRASP/SC1 is expressed in a variety of tissues during embryogenesis. Here, we studied the expression pattern of BEN/DM-GRASP/SC1 in different organs involved in facial mouse development, especially in the developing teeth. BEN/DM-GRASP/SC1 was expressed in nose, whisker, gland, and tongue epithelia, as well as in myogenic mesenchyme. In molars, BEN/DM-GRASP/SC1 was firstly expressed in the condensed mesenchyme and thereafter expression was confined to mesenchymal cells of the dental follicle. In contrast, in incisors, transient BEN/DM-GRASP/SC1 expression was restricted to epithelium. In tissue recombination experiments, BEN/DM-GRASP/SC1 expression in mesenchyme was activated by molar, but not incisor epithelium.