Epithelial‐specific requirement of FGFR2 signaling during tooth and palate development

Abstract

Reciprocal interactions between epithelium and mesenchyme are crucial for embryonic development. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are a growth factor family that play an important role in epithelial–mesenchymal tissue interaction. We have generated epithelial‐specific conditional knockout mice targeting Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (Fgfr2) to investigate the function of FGF signaling during craniofacial development. K14‐Cre;Fgfr2^fl/fl mice have skin defects, retarded tooth formation, and cleft palate. During the formation of the tooth primordium and palatal processes, cell proliferation in the epithelial cells of K14‐Cre;Fgfr2^fl/fl mice is reduced. Thus, FGF signaling via FGFR2 in the epithelium is crucial for cell proliferation activity during tooth and palate development. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 312B:343–350, 2009.