OVEREXPRESSION OF SOYBEAN AGGLUTININ BINDING-SITES IN HYPERPLASTIC DENTAL EPITHELIUM IN OSTEOPETROTIC (OP OP) MICE/

In the present study, we examined SBA lectin binding sites and pattern s in hyperplastic dental epithelium overlying the crowns of pathologic ally unerupted molar teeth from congenital osteopetrotic (OP/OP) mice, and compared our findings with the pattern seen in the normal litterm ates. The hyperplastic dental epithelium of OP/OP mice disclosed prefe rential and intense staining of SBA. The lectin binding sites were dem onstrated on membrane of the epithelial cells that interconnected with superficial gingival epithelium. At ultrastructural level, SBA labeli ng was detected over the desmosomal complexes of the epithelial cells. In normal mice, the reducing dental epithelium, as well as junctional epithelial cells, likewise demonstrated the lectin staining, but to a significantly lesser extent. The results of this study, taken togethe r with suggested property of SBA binding, indicate that the hyperplast ic dental epithelium in OP/OP mice might overexpress sugar sequences w ith N-acetyl-D-galactosamine on their cell surface, and this may be at tributed to a functional alteration or degradation of such cell surfac e, due secondary to the pathological aberrations residing in OP/OP mic e.