Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) during the first molar development in the mouse

  • Published:
Anatomy and Embryology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

NCAM, the neural cell adhesion molecule, was immunolocalized in the mandibular first molar tooth germ of the mouse. NCAM was first detected in the tooth germ of the late bud stage, where only the cells in the outer part of the condensed mesenchyme (primitive dental follicle) exhibited faint immunoreactivity. The entire dental follicle was intensely immunostained for NCAM from cap stage to the stage when root formation started. During root formation, NCAM disappeared from the follicular tissue surrounding the cervical root as well as from the part covering the crown top. This loss of NCAM proceeded in the direction of the root apex, but even after the tooth had achieved functional occlusion, NCAM was still expressed by the mesenchymal cells adjacent to the root apex. On the other hand, NCAM was negative in the dental papilla until birth. After birth, NCAM-immunoreactivity appeared in the basal portion of the dental papilla, but this NCAM-positive area gradually diminished in width during the root elongation. Instead, another NCAM-positive zone appeared in the core of the pulp during root formation. Even in the tooth that had already erupted, the pulp core contained cells that were strongly positive for NCAM immunostaining. In addition to its expression in the above two mesenchymal cell lineages, NCAM was transiently expressed by epithelial components of the tooth germ, some of the cells of the dental lamina and the enamel organ. The results suggest that NCAM participates in several processes of tooth development.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Chuong CM, Edelman GM (1985a) Expression of cell-adhesion molecules in embryonic induction. I. Morphogenesis of nestling feathers. J Cell Biol 101:1009–1026

    Google Scholar 

  • Chuong CM, Edelman GM (1985b) Expression of cell-adhesion molecules in embryonic induction. II. Morphogenesis of adult feathers. J Cell Biol 101:1027–1043

    Google Scholar 

  • Corpron RE, Avery JK (1973) The ultracstructure of intradental nerves in developing mouse molars. Anat Rec 175:585–606

    Google Scholar 

  • Crossin KL, Chuong CM, Edelman GM (1985) Expression sequences of cell adhesion molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 82:6942–6946

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham BA, Hemperly JJ, Murray BA, Prediger EA, Brackenbury R, Edelman GM (1987) Neural cell adhesion molecule: structure, immunoglobulin-like domains, cell surface modulation, and alternative RNA splicing. Science 236:799–806

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman GM (1984a) Cell adhesion and morphogenesis: The regulator hypothesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 81:1460–1464

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman GM (1984b) Expression of cell adhesion molecules during embryogenesis and regeneration. Exp Cell Res 161:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman GM (1985) Cell adhesion and the molecular processes of morphogenesis. Annu Rev Biochem 54:135–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman GM (1986) Cell adhesion molecules in the regulation of animal form and tissue pattern. Annu Rev Cell Biol 2:81–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman GM (1988) Morphoregulatory molecules. Biochemistry 27:3533–3543

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman GM, Crossin KL (1991) Cell adhesion molecules: Implications for a molecular histology. Annu Rev Biochem 60:155–190

    Google Scholar 

  • Edelman GM, Gallin WJ, Delouvée A, Cunningham BA, Thiery JP (1983) Early epochal maps of two different cell adhesion molecules. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 80:4384–4388

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekblom P, Vestweber D, Kemler R (1986) Cell-matrix interactions and cell adhesion during development. Annu Rev Cell Biol 2:27–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Fearnhead RW (1961) The neurology of human dentine. Proc Roy Soc Med 54:877–884

    Google Scholar 

  • Finne J, Finne U, Deagostini-Bazin H, Goridis C (1983) Occurrence of α2–8 linked polysialosyl units in a neural cell adhesion molecule. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 112:482–487

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirn M, Pierres M, Deagostini-Bazin H, Hirsch M, Goridis C (1981) Monoclonal antibody against cell surface glycoprotein of neurons. Brain Res 214:433–439

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang WM, Gibson SJ, Facer P, Gu J, Polak JM (1983) Improved section adhesion for immunocytochemistry using high molecular weight polymers of l-lysine as a slide coating. Histochemistry 77:275–279

    Google Scholar 

  • Humphrey T (1965) The relation of nerve fibers to the developing enamel organs and dental papillae of human fetuses of 7.5 to 12 weeks of menstrual age. Alabama J Med Sci 2:137–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Kollar EJ, Braid G (1970) Tissue interactions in developing mouse tooth germs. II. The inductive role of the dental papilla. J Embryol Exp Morphol 24:173–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Kubota J (1959) Some contributions to the relation of the nerve distribution to the human tooth germ. Okajimas Folia Anat Jpn 32:133–148

    Google Scholar 

  • Lau EC, Ruch JV (1983) Glycosaminoglycans in embryonic mouse teeth and dissociated dental constituents. Differentiation 23:234–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Lesot H, Osman M, Ruch JV (1981) Immunofluorescent localization of collagens, fibronectin, and laminin during terminal differentiation of odontoblasts. Dev Biol 82:371–381

    Google Scholar 

  • Lesot H, Karcher-Djuricic V, Mark M, Meyer JM, Ruch JV (1985) Dental cell interaction with extracellular-matrix constituents: Type-I collagen and fibronectin. Differentiation 29:176–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Linde A, Johansson S, Jontell M (1982) Localization of fibronectin during dentinogenesis in rat incisor. Arch Oral Biol 27:1069–1073

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumsden AGS (1984) Tooth morphogenesis: contribution of the neural crest in mammals. In: Belcourt AB, Ruch JV (eds) Tooth morphogenesis and differentiation. Colloque Inserm. vol 125. INSERM, Paris, pp 29–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumsden AGS (1987) The neural crest contribution to tooth development in the mammalian embryo. In: Maderson PFA (ed) Developmental and evolutionary aspects of the neural crest. Wiley, New York, pp 216–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Lumsden AGS (1988) Spatial organization of the epithelium and the role of neural crest cells in the initiation of the mammalian tooth germ. Development 103 [Suppl]: 155–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Mark PM, Butler WT, Ruch JV (1989) Transient expression of a chondroitin sulfate-related epitope during cartilage histomorphogenesis in the axial skeleton of fetal rats. Dev Biol 133:475–488

    Google Scholar 

  • Martini R, Schachner M (1986) Immunoelectron microscopic localization of neural cell adhesion molecules (L1, N-CAM, and MAG) and their shared carbohydrate epitope and myelin basic protein in developing sciatic nerve. J Cell Biol 103:2439–2488

    Google Scholar 

  • McClay DR, Ettensohn CA (1987) Cell adhesion in morphogenesis. Annu Rev Cell Biol 3:319–345

    Google Scholar 

  • McLean IW, Nakane PK (1974) Periodate-lysine-paraformaldehyde fixative: a new fixative for immunoelectron microscopy. J Histochem Cytochem 22:1077–1083

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mirsky R, Jessen KR, Schachner M, Goridis C (1986) Distribution of the adhesion molecules N-CAM and L1 on peripheral neurons and glia in adult rats. J Neurocytol 15:799–815

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed SS, Atkinson ME (1983) A histological study of the innervation of developing mouse teeth. J Anat 136:735–749

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer RM, Lumsden AGS (1987) Development of periodontal ligament and alveolar bone in homografted recombinations of enamel organs and papillary, pulpal and follicular mesenchyme in the mouse. Arch Oral Biol 32:281–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson AA (1977) The early innervation of the developing deciduous teeth. J Anat 123:563–577

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruch JV, Lesot H, Karcher-Djuricic JM, Mark M (1983) Epitheli-al-mesenchymal interactions in tooth germs: mechanisms of differentiation. J Biol Buccale 11:173–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutishauser U (1984) Developmental biology of a neural cell adhesion molecule. Nature 310:549–554

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutishauser U, Hoffman S, Edelman GM (1982) Binding properties of a cell adhesion molecule from neural tissue. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79:685–689

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanes JR, Schachner M, Covault J (1986) Expression of several adhesive macromolecules (N-CAM, L1, J1, NILE, uvomorulin, laminin, fibronectin, and a heparan sulfate proteoglycan) in embryonic, adult, and denervated adult skeletal muscle. J Cell Biol 102:420–431

    Google Scholar 

  • Takeichi M (1988) The cadherins: cell-cell adhesion molecules controlling animal morphogenesis. Development 102:639–655

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Takeichi M (1990) Cadherins: A molecular family important in selective cell-cell adhesion. Annu Rev Biochem 59:237–252

    Google Scholar 

  • Ten Cate AR (1972) Cell division and periodontal ligament formation in the mouse. Arch Oral Biol 17:1781–1784

    Google Scholar 

  • Ten Cate AR (1980) Development of the tooth and its supporting tissues. In: Ten Cate AR (ed) Oral histology: development, structure and function, 1st edn. Mosby, St Louis, pp 60–83

    Google Scholar 

  • Ten Cate AR, Mills C (1972) The development of the periodontium: The origin of alveolar bone. Anat Rec 173:69–78

    Google Scholar 

  • Ten Cate AR, Mills C, Solomon G (1971) The development of the periodontium. A transplantation and autoradiographic study. Anat Rec 170:365–380

    Google Scholar 

  • Theiler K (1972) The house mouse. Springer, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Thesleff I, Hurmerinta K (1981) Tissue interactions in tooth development. Differentiation 18:75–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Thesleff I, Stenman S, Vaheri A, Timpl R (1979) Changes in the matrix proteins, fibronectin and collagen, during differentiation of mouse tooth germ. Dev Biol 70:116–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Thesleff I, Barrach HJ, Foidart JM, Vaheri A, Pratt RM, Martin GR (1981) Changes in the distribution of type IV collagen, laminin, proteoglycan, and fibronectin during mouse tooth development. Dev Biol 81:182–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Thesleff I, Macke E, Vainio S, Chiquet-Erismann R (1987) Changes in the distribution of tenascin during tooth development. Development 101:289–296

    Google Scholar 

  • Thesleff I, Jalkanen M, Vainio S, Bernfield M (1988) Cell surface proteoglycan expression correlates with epithelial-mesenchymal interaction during tooth morphogenesis. Dev Biol 129:565–572

    Google Scholar 

  • Thiery JP, Duband JL, Rutishauser U, Edelman GM (1982) Cell adhesion molecules in early chicken embryogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79:6737–6741

    Google Scholar 

  • Torneck CD (1980) Dentin-pulp complex. In: Ten Cate AR (ed) Oral histology: development, structure and function, 1st edn. Mosby St Louis, pp 140–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Tosney KW, Watanabe M, Landmesser L, Rutishauser U (1986) The distribution of NCAM in the chick hindlimb during axon outgrowth and synaptogenesis. Dev Biol 114–452

  • Vainio S, Jalkanen M, Thesleff I (1989) Syndecan and tenascin expression is induced by epithelial-mesenchymal interactions in embryonic tooth mesenchyme. J Cell Biol 108:1945–1954

    Google Scholar 

  • Vainio S, Jalkanen M, Vaahtokari A, Sahlberg C, Mali M, Bernfield M, Thesleff I (1991) Expression of syndecan gene is induced early, is transient, and correlates with changes in mesenchymal cell proliferation during tooth organogenesis. Dev Biol 147:322–333

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamura T (1985) Differentiation of pulpal cells and inductive influences of various matrices with reference to pulpal healing. J Dent Res 64, 530–540

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamamura T, Shimoto M, Koike H, Terao M, Tanaka Y, Sakai Y, Inoue T, Yoshiki S, Tachikawa T, Kawahara H, Watanabe O (1980) Differentiation and induction of undifferentiated mesenchymal cells in tooth and periodontal tissue during wound healing and regeneration. Bull Tokyo Dent Coll 21:181–221

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oral Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Higashi Nippon Gakuen University, Ishikari-Tobetsu, 061-02, Hokkaido, Japan

    Nobuko Obara & Masako Takeda

Authors
  1. Nobuko Obara
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Masako Takeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Obara, N., Takeda, M. Expression of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) during the first molar development in the mouse. Anat Embryol 187, 209–219 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195758

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00195758

Key words

Search

Navigation