Description
Amelogenin is a highly conserved 28-kDa enamel protein, encoded by the genes AMELX and AMELY. AMELX located on chromosome Xp22.31-p22.1 is primarily responsible for tooth enamel formation, whereas AMELY on the Y chromosome does not appear to be needed for this process. Amelogenin is secreted by ameloblasts during tooth development and comprises about 90 % of the organic matrix of enamel. Amelogenin plays an important role in regulating biomineralization of enamel. As the enamel matures, its protein content diminishes and amelogenin is removed. Mutations in the AMELX gene result in X-linked forms of amelogenesis imperfecta, a condition characterized by enamel defects.
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© 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Chi, A. (2016). Amelogenin. In: Slootweg, P.J. (eds) Dental and Oral Pathology. Encyclopedia of Pathology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28085-1_2763
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28085-1_2763
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Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28084-4
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28085-1
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