Three quarters of the micro-environment of early secretory stage enamel consist of protein and water. The physical arrangement of this enamel matrix is closely related to enamel crystal growth and habit. In the present study, structural components of developing enamel were analyzed using atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, immuno-ultracryotomy, and electron diffraction. Atomic force images revealed spherical subunits measuring between 108 nm and 124 nm in diameter. Transmission electron micrographs indicated that developing crystals were surrounded by an electron dense coat which may be rich in proteins. Transmission electron micrographs and electron diffraction studies supported a concept in which initial enamel crystals consist of amorphous calcium phosphate and later fuse to hydroxyapatite. Cryo-immuno electron microscopy demonstrated homogeneous distribution of amelogenin epitopes within the entire enamel matrix. The current study suggests an intricate role of protein aggregation phenomena involved in initial enamel crystal growth and habit.

Tissue recombination experiments and cell lineage analyses of the developing neural crest have documented the role and central pathways of migratory cells during early craniofacial development.In the present study, regional pathways of cells during late peripheral morphogenesis were investigated using the crown stage tooth organ as a model. Homing targets during tooth integument formation were analyzed to understand the fate of migratory cells involved in late tooth organogenesis and the developmental origin of periodontal tissues. After surgical removal of the oral mucosa, the oral aspect of the dental follicle of lower first mouse molar teeth was labeled using a fluorescent contact dye. Following sacrifice after 0, 2, 4, and 6 days, labeled cells were detected in the dental follicle, in the alveolar bone, and in the periodontal ligament adjacent to the molar root. The distribution of labeled tissues was reconstructed three-dimensionally via confocal microscopy. Using a tooth molar organ culture system, labeled cells within the dental follicle were documented traveling in the apical direction. Our results indicated that cell migration during tooth organogenesis was following specific pathways and that cells within the circumference of the dental follicle were migrating in the apical direction. We speculate that migratory cells passing through the dental follicle connective tissue may contribute to the formation of the periodontium. The present documentation visualizes pathways, role, and dynamics of extensive cell movements during late tooth organogenesis.

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SUMMARYAmelogenins and tuftelins are highly specialized proteins secreted into the developing enamel matrix during mammalian enamel formation. Both tuftelins and amelogenins have been associated with various functions during nucleation and maturation of the developing enamel matrix. In this study we conducted experiments to investigate whether tuftelins and portions of the amelogenin molecule were deposited and processed in spatially distinguished portions of the developing enamel matrix, using antibodies specific against tuftelin or amelogenins. The amelogenin antibodies were raised against recombinant and native amelogenins and also included an antibody against a polypeptide encoded by amelogenin exon 4. To compare spatial expression patterns of enamel protein epitopes, 3-day postnatal mouse molar tooth organs were processed for paraffin histology and cut into serial sections. Adjacent sections were exposed to antibodies against either tuftelin or various amelogenin epitopes. To investigate age-related changes of enamel protein expression, amelogenin and tuftelin antibodies were applied to tooth organs of developmental stages E19 and 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 postnatal days. Tuftelin was detected within the odontoblast processes during earlier stages of development (E19 and 1 day postnatal), whereas during later stages (3-11 days) it was recognized in a portion of the enamel layer adjacent to the dentine-enamel junction. In contrast, all four antibodies against amelogenins reacted with parts of the ameloblast cytoplasm and the entire enamel layer. Using immunohistochemistry, we were not able to detect any differences in the spatial distribution of the four amelogenin epitopes investigated. The spatial differences in the distribution of amelogenin and tuftelin as observed in this study may be intepreted as an indication of functional differences between both proteins during early enamel biomineralization.