The clock gene Period1 inhibits the mineralization of cementoblast through the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Abstract The biological clock regulated by circadian clock genes manipulates various tooth tissues including enamel, dentin, and periodontal ligament. However, whether these genes regulate cementum regeneration remains unclear. This study aims to explore whether Per1, a core gene of circadian clock genes, affects the mineralization of cementum. Immunohistochemical staining and hematoxylin-eosin staining were performed on 6-weeks-old C57BL/6 mice and showed that there were PER1-positive cells in the cementum. In addition, the expression of Per1 decreased during the mineralization of the murine cementoblast cell line OCCM-30. These findings suggest that Per1 may regulate cementum mineralization. To verify the effect of Per1 on cementum mineralization, Per1 was knocked down by lentiviral transduction in OCCM-30. The results showed that knocking down Per1 promoted the mineralization of OCCM-30, whilst it up-regulated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Taken together, Per1 can inhibit cementum mineralization via the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, providing a molecular foundation for the treatment of cementum loss caused by periodontal diseases.