The role of osteonectin in human tooth development: an immunohistological study.

We investigated immunohistologically 160 teeth and dental germs in various stages of tooth development taken from human individuals (13th week of pregnancy to the 24th year of life) to study the osteonectin expression in dental hard tissue. In the course of dentinogenesis, the predentin, the odontoblasts, and their cell processes show a positive osteonectin staining reaction. During cementogenesis, osteonectin is synthesized by cement-producing fibroblasts, cementoblasts, and cementocytes. The expression of osteonectin during dentinogenesis and cementogenesis is closely related to the development of the respective calcified tissue. All cells of the inner and outer enamel epithelium, the cells of the stratum reticulare and stratum intermedium, the ameloblasts, and the enamel substance are osteonectin negative, just as dentin and cement are. The results of this study indicate one important physiological role of osteonectin as a protein associated with the formation of collagen containing mineralizing tissues like human bone, as well as human dentin and cement.