Organ culture of tooth germs: relationship between alkaline phosphatase and mineralization in vitro.

In the 3rd day 2nd molar of the hamster, mineralization of the tooth germ has been studied in vitro starting from unmineralized predentine stage up to secretory amelogenesis. The explants were cultured in BGJb medium containing 15% foetal calf serum. The biochemical data on whole tooth germs were compared morphometrically with its main calcifying components. The alkaline phosphatase seems not to be related to cell-division but more to mineralization. There the alkaline phosphatase appeared to be more correlated with the phosphorus than with the calcium uptake. Its function in mineralization of the tooth germ seems also to be more expressed in dentinogenesis than in amelogenesis.