C. Jeanneau

A decreased platelet adhesion to rabbit aorta subendothelium (Baumgartner technique) is confirmed in the Bernard Soulier (giant platelet) syndrome. Electron microscope techniques using a purified antibody against Factor VIII/von Willebrand protein, revealed an apparently normal presence of the Factor VIII/von Willebrand protein on the Bernard Soulier platelets. Electrophoretic characterization of the major protein and glycoprotein components of the Bernard Soulier platelets following sodium dodecyl sulfate solubilization indicated a relatively normal protein content but suggested a reduced content of the 155,000 molecular weight major platelet glycoprotein. This was confirmed by a reduced release of high molecular weight acidic glycopeptides following incubation of washed Bernard Soulier platelets with trypsin. It is proposed that this abnormality may be related to the previously reported reduced sialic acid content and the reduced electrophoretic mobility of the Bernard Soulier platelets and that a glycoprotein reduced or abnormal in the Bernard Soulier platelets is necessary for the normal adhesion of platelets to subendothelium.

Sialyltransferases (STs) represent an important group of enzymes that transfer N-acetylneuraminic acid (Neu5Ac) from cytidine monophosphate-Neu5Ac to various acceptor substrates. In higher animals, sialylated oligosaccharide structures play crucial roles in many biological processes but also in diseases, notably in microbial infection and cancer. Cell surface sialic acids have also been found in a few microorganisms, mainly pathogenic bacteria, and their presence is often associated with virulence. STs are distributed into five different families in the CAZy database (http://www.cazy.org/). On the basis of crystallographic data available for three ST families and fold recognition analysis for the two other families, STs can be grouped into two structural superfamilies that represent variations of the canonical glycosyltransferase (GT-A and GT-B) folds. These two superfamilies differ in the nature of their active site residues, notably the catalytic base (a histidine or an aspartate residue). The observed structural and functional differences strongly suggest that these two structural superfamilies have evolved independently.

The pulp is a highly vascularized tissue situated in an inextensible environment surrounded by rigid dentin walls, with the apical foramina being the only access. The pulp vascular system is not only responsible for nutrient supply and waste removal but also contributes actively to the pulp inflammatory response and subsequent regeneration. This review discusses the underlying mechanisms of pulp vascularization during tooth development, regeneration, and therapeutic procedures, such as tissue engineering and tooth transplantation. Whereas the pulp vascular system is established by vasculogenesis during embryonic development, sprouting angiogenesis is the predominant process during regeneration and therapeutic processes. Hypoxia can be considered a common driving force. Dental pulp cells under hypoxic stress release proangiogenic factors, with vascular endothelial growth factor being one of the most potent. The benefit of exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor application in tissue engineering has been well demonstrated. Interestingly, dental pulp stem cells have an important role in pulp revascularization. Indeed, recent studies show that dental pulp stem cell secretome possesses angiogenic potential that actively contributes to the angiogenic process by guiding endothelial cells and even by differentiating themselves into the endothelial lineage. Although considerable insight has been obtained in the processes underlying pulp vascularization, many questions remain relating to the signaling pathways, timing, and influence of various stress conditions.