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microRNA-21 Contributes to Orthodontic Tooth Movement

microRNAs could be mechanosensitive and emerge as critical posttranscriptional regulators in the bone-remodeling process. During orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), the application of mechanical force induces alveolar bone remodeling, but whether microRNAs respond to orthodontic force and contribute to OTM is unknown. microRNA-21 (miR-21) has been previously reported in vitro to mediate stretch-induced osteogenic differentiation of periodontal ligament stem cells and support osteoclast differentiation. In this study, the authors show that miR-21 responded to orthodontic force in periodontal tissue in a dose- and time-dependent manner and regulated the osteogenesis of human periodontal ligament stem cells following OTM. Using mmu-miR-21-deficient (miR-21-/-) mice, the authors discovered that mmu-miR-21 deficiency inhibited OTM and prevented force-induced maxillary bone loss. The authors found that miR-21-/- mice showed a normal skeletal phenotype in development and a similar alveolar bone formation rate to wild-type mice postnatally. During OTM, mmu-miR-21 regulated force-induced alveolar osteoblastogenesis in the tensile side, while no effects were detected in the compressive side. However, miR-21-/- mice showed inhibited alveolar osteoclastogenesis when compared with wild-type mice. During OTM, mmu-miR-21 deficiency blocked alveolar bone resorption in both the compressive and tensile sides. To dissect the mechanism by which miR-21 regulates alveolar bone remodeling, the authors screened the reported functional targets of miR-21 and found that periodontal expression of programmed cell death 4 (Pdcd4) was inhibited following OTM. Furthermore, mmu-miR-21 deficiency removed the suppression of Pdcd4 at both the mRNA and protein levels in the periodontium, resulting in upregulation of the downstream effector C-fos. Further analysis of OTM under lipopolysaccharide-induced periodontal inflammation showed that mmu-miR-21 mediated lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-accelerated OTM and that mmu-miR-21 deficiency blocked lipopolysaccharide-induced maxillary bone loss. In summary, these findings reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism that a microRNA can modulate OTM and alveolar bone remodeling under both normal and inflammatory microenvironments in vivo.