CDB Seminar - Prof Abigail Tucker, King's College London

Talk abstract: As mammals we only have two sets of teeth, our deciduous and permanent teeth. This brings the question of why we have this restriction when elsewhere in the animal kingdom sharks, snakes, and crocodiles have a seemingly unlimited supply of replacement teeth. Here we aim to understand the mechanisms that restrict tooth number in mammals by investigating the signals that determine whether a tooth is replaced or not, and whether a third set of teeth is a possibility. We will then turn to investigate how continuous replacement is controlled in snakes, focusing on the relationship between fangs and venom delivery. 

Suggested references:

• Popa, E.M., Buchtova, A., Tucker, A.S. (2019). Revitalising the rudimentary replacement dentition in the mouse. Development Feb 8; 146 (3). PMID:30658984
• Tucker, A.S., & Fraser, G.J. (2014). Evolution and developmental diversity of tooth regeneration. Sem. Cell Dev. Biol. 25-26, 71-80. PMID: 24406627

Host: Susan Evans