Differential molecular profiles and associated functionalities characterize connective tissue grafts obtained at different locations and depths in the human palate

The present study aimed to assess the molecular profiles of subepithelial connective tissue grafts(CTGs) obtained at different locations and depths in the human palate.Sixty-four CTGs belonging to anterior deep(AD),anterior superficial(AS),posterior deep(PD),and posterior superficial(PS) groups were subjected to RNA-Sequencing and their transcriptomes were analyzed computationally.Functional correlations characterizing the CTG groups were validated by cell biological experiments using primary human palatal fibroblasts(HPFs) extracted from the CTGs.A clearly more pronounced location-dependent than depth-dependent difference between the grafts,with a minimal number of genes(4) showing no dependence on the location,was revealed.