DETERMINATION OF ENAMEL PROTEIN SYNTHESIZED BY RECOMBINED MOUSE MOLARTOOTH GERMS IN ORGAN-CULTURE

Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction is a prerequisite for tooth morphog enesis. To study this interaction, inner enamel epithelium and dental papilla mesenchyme of molar tooth germs from a 16.5-day mouse embryo w ere dissociated enzymatically and cultured alone or after recombinatio n. Characteristic matrix protein synthesized and secreted by recombine d tooth germ was determined quantitatively by enzyme-linked immunosorb ent assay. The protein was detected in the culture of recombined tooth germ but not of dissociated enamel epithelium alone. The amount of en amel protein increased until 8 days in culture. Morphological differen tiation of the recombined epithelial rudiment into ameloblasts and ena mel protein production were confirmed.