Distribution of Glycoconjugates Localized by Peanut and <i>Madura pomifera</i> Agglutinins during Mouse Molar Root Development

Abstract

Glycolipids, glycoproteins, glycosaminoglycans and sialoglycoproteins have all been implicated in a number of developmentally significant processes related to complex interactions between cell surfaces and the extracellular matrix. The present study was designed to localize glycoconjugates recognized by peanut agglutinin (PNA) and Madura pomifera (MPA) lectins during mouse molar root development. Postnatal ICR mice at 10, 15, 21, 28 and 42 days were used. Lower jaws were dissected, fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde, decalcified in 5% EDTA and embedded in paraffin. Serial sections were made and stained with FITC-conjugated PNA or MPA. β-Lactose was used as an inhibitory sugar for PNA, and α-D-melibiose for MPA. PNA specifically stained Hertwig’s epithelial root sheath (HERS), whereas MPA stained a number of tissues. The outermost layer of root dentin, forming cellular cementum, alveolar bone and HERS showed positive reactions with MPA. Glycoconjugates localized by the lectins may be functionally related to molecules which contribute to root formation and cementogenesis.

Developmental appearance and distribution of bone sialoprotein and osteopontin in human and rat cementum

“…Consistent with previous immunocytochemical studies in bone and cementum (Bianco et al, 1993;Chen et al, 1994;, BSP and OPN are found to be preferentially associated with a network of electron-dense, granular, and/or reticular material (the so-called ground substance of mineralized matrices) dispersed among the collagen fibrils throughout the mineralized cementum. Lectin cytochemistry confirms that cementum contains glycosylated proteins as previously shown histochemically (Yamamoto, 1986;Cho and Garant, 1989;Yamamoto and Wakita, 1990;Sasano et al, 1992), and additionally identifies specific sugar moieties associated with these proteins and maps with high resolution their distribution with respect to cells and matrix constituents. The labeling pattern obtained with the lectins Con A, RCA, UEA, and WGA is consistent with the known glycosylation chemistry of collagen, BSP, and OPN.…”

Hertwig's epithelial root sheath, enamel matrix proteins, and initiation of cementogenesis in porcine teeth

“…EMPs along the root were often associated with the so‐called intermediate layer of cementum (Lindskog 1982a, b, Lindskog & Hammarström 1982, Slavkin et al 1989b, Sasano et al 1992, reviewed in Bosshardt & Schroeder 1996). A perusal of the literature, however, indicates that there is no evidence for the existence of an EMP‐containing matrix layer on the root dentin.…”

Epithelial Rests Colocalize with Cementoblasts Forming Acellular Cementum but Not with Cementoblasts Forming Cellular Cementum

“…PNA is a lectin which recognizes galactosecontaining glycoconjugates. PNA has been shown to stain the cells of the oral epithelium near the basement membrane [Saku and Okabe, 1989;Vigneswaran et al, 1990;Abe et al, 1995], and the cells of the epithelial root sheath [Sasano et al, 1992]. The PNA-positive cells formed fine meshes in 2-week-old rats and larger meshes consisted of a typical cell cord in 3-week-old rats, the latter of which has been shown to be a characteristic feature of the epithelial rests [Avery, 1987].…”

“…Staining with peanut agglutinin (PNA) was performed as described previously [Sasano et al, 1992]. Briefly, the sections were incubated with FITC-conjugated PNA (EY Laboratory, USA) for 60 min at room temperture, and rinsed with PBS.…”