Fig. 3

Ligature-induced periodontitis is more severe in mice lacking SCC signaling elements. a Ligatured maxillae from WT and knockout mice. Yellow dotted line indicates the area between the cementoenamel junction of the second maxillary molar and the alveolar bone crest. Scale bars: 500 μm. b Quantitation of relative alveolar bone loss (ABL) calculated by subtracting the ABL of the unligatured side from the ABL of the ligatured side. Results for each mouse are plotted; the red line indicates the mean (n = 10 for each knockout mouse and n = 20 WT mice). ***p < 0.001, one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey’s test. c Expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNAs determined by qPCR. Results are normalized against β-actin mRNA expression and are represented as the fold change in transcript levels in ligatured sites relative to those of the corresponding contralateral unligatured sites, which are assigned a value of 1 (n = 5 independent experiments). IL-1β, -6, -17 interleukin-1β, -6, -17, respectively, RANKL receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand. **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, Student’s t test. d qPCR quantitation of bacteria colonized on the ligatures recovered 1 week after placement. Result of each mouse is plotted; the red line indicates the mean (n = 10 knockout mice and n = 30 WT mice). CFU colony-forming unit. ***p < 0.001, one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey’s test. e Expression levels of antimicrobial peptides determined by qPCR (n = 5 independent experiments). Defb1–3 β-defensin 1–3, respectively, Camp cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide LL-37. *p < 0.05, Student’s t test. Error bars in c and e represent the SEM. Source data are provided as a Source Data file