Immunoelectron microscopic observation of connexin43 in rat odontoblasts.
Gap junctions play an important role in differentiation of odontoblasts. Gap junction protein, connexin 43 is expressed in odontoblast. However, the detailed localization in odontoblasts has yet to be fully investigated. We investigated the localization of connexin43 in rat odontoblasts immuno-electron microscopically. The rats were transcardially fixed with 1% paraformaldehyde in 0.1M phosphate buffer, and mandibles were decalcified with 10% ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. Pre-embedding method was carried out for immuno-electron microscopic analysis. Microscopically, gap junctions were localized between bodies of odontoblasts, and between bodies and processes of odontoblasts. The gap junctions were labeled with gold particles that indicated connexin43. These results suggest that gap junctions between odontoblasts are definitely composed of connexin43 in rats, and our methods used in this study is useful to investigate localization of connexin43 immuno-electron microscopically.
Department of Endodontics and Clinical Cardiology, Tokyo Dental College, Japan; Department of Pathology, Tokyo Dental College, Japan; Oral Health Science Center hrc8, Tokyo Dental College, Japan.
Takashi
T
Muramatsu
Sadamitsu
S
Hashimoto
Yoshiyuki
Y
Shibukawa
Kazuhiro
K
Yuasa
Masahiro
M
Furusawa
Masaki
M
Shimono
D000818:Animals; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000032:analysis*; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009804:Odontoblasts / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats
D018031:Connexin 43
connexin43; gap junction; immuno-electron microscopy; odontoblast; pulp