Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41683589›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2026

A Single-Cell Transcriptomic Atlas of Epithelial Cell Heterogeneity During the Crown-to-Root Transition in the Mouse Molar.

Fei Bi, Tian Chen, Jiusi Guo, Wei Qiao, Zhi Liu, Xianglong Han

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Fei BiState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Center for Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.ORCID 0000-0003-4450-0114
Tian ChenState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Center for Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1296-7772
Jiusi GuoApplied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-1246-4668
Wei QiaoApplied Oral Sciences & Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-0450-0366
Zhi LiuState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Center for Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6183-498X
Xianglong HanState Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases and National Center for Stomatology and National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases and National Engineering Laboratory for Oral Regenerative Medicine, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7650-8204

Funding

Innovative Research Group of the National Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province (2025NSFTD0026)National Key R&D Program of China (2024YFC2510700)National Natural Science Foundations of China (U24A20712)Research and Develop Program, West China Hospital of Stomatology Sichuan University (RD-02-202517)Sichuan Science and Technology Program (2024YFFK0068)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The mechanisms driving the crown-to-root transition in tooth development remain incompletely understood, particularly the functional heterogeneity of dental epithelium. To address this gap and deconstruct this complexity, we aimed to analyze dental epithelial heterogeneity during this critical transition and to identify subpopulation-specific programs relevant to root development. We therefore established a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the mouse molar at postnatal days 3.5 and 7.5, integrating 30,951 cells to profile the pan-tissue landscape and performing an in-depth analysis of 4323 dental epithelial cells. Our results reveal that the dental epithelium is composed of seven distinct subpopulations with a clear lineage hierarchy, originating from multipotent progenitors and bifurcating into self-renewing and differentiating trajectories. The identified particular functions of each subcluster include the following: structural maintaining progenitor that inhibits mineralization (Cluster 4), proliferation driver (Cluster 0), key signaling center (Cluster 1), terminally differentiated executing enamel formation (Cluster 3 and Cluster 6), and extracellular matrix-organizing hub (Cluster 5), communicating extensively via the Bmp, Tgf-β, and Wnt pathways. Our work defines dental epithelium as a dynamic and heterogeneous orchestrator of root morphogenesis, providing a foundational framework for understanding developmental biology and pioneering future regenerative strategies based on precise epithelial cell functions.

Indexed as

Epithelial CellsMolarOdontogenesisTooth CrownTooth RootTranscriptomeAnimalsCell DifferentiationGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, DevelopmentalMiceSingle-Cell AnalysisSingle-Cell Gene Expression Analysiscell heterogeneitydental epitheliumepithelial-mesenchymal transitionHertwig’s epithelial root sheathsingle-cell sequencingtooth root development

Identifiers

PMID41683589
PMCPMC12898223

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.