Overexpression of full-length AMBN protein inhibited proliferation of human ameloblastoma AM-1 cells, but overexpression of heparin binding domain-deficient AMBN protein had no inhibitory effect.
The AMBN protein has an important role in the differentiation of ameloblast cells and epithelium-mesenchyme signaling during odontogenesis which prompted us to investigate this gene in aggressive epithelial odontogenic tumors, such as ameloblastomas, and in some non-aggressive ones, such as the adenomatoid odontogenic tumor and the squamous odontogenic tumor.
Expression of ameloblastin in human tooth germ is related to differentiation and mineralization, and it correlates with the state of differentiation of the tumour cells in ameloblastoma.