Transcriptional Expression in Human Periodontal Ligament Cells Subjected to Orthodontic Force: An RNA-Sequencing Study

Purpose : This study was performed to investigate the changes in gene expression in periodontal ligament (PDL) cells following mechanical stimulus through RNA sequencing.Method : Premolars extracted for orthodontic treatment were used. To stimulate the PDL cells, an orthodontic force of 100× g was applied to the premolar (experimental group; n = 11), whereas the tooth on the other side was left untreated (control group; n = 11). After the PDL cells were isolated from the extracted teeth, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis, and real-time PCR were performed to compare the two groups.Result : GSEA demonstrated that gene sets related to the cell cycle pathway were upregulated in PDL. Thirteen upregulated and twenty downregulated genes were found through DEG analysis. Real-time PCR results confirmed that five upregulated genes (CC2D1B, CPNE3, OPHN1, TANGO2, and UAP-1) and six downregulated genes (MYOM2, PPM1F, PCDP1, ATP2A1, GPR171, and RP1-34H18.1-1) were consistent with RNA sequencing results.Conclusion : Two upregulated genes, CPNE3 and OPHN1, and one downregulated gene, PPM1F, play an important role in PDL regeneration in humans when orthodontic force is applied.