An immunocytochemical study of the innervation of developing human fetal teeth using protein gene product 9.5 (PGP...

Developing teeth of 32 human fetuses (crown-rump length 11-205 mm) were examined immunohistochemically by antisera to protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) in an attempt to shed light upon the possible role of innervation in odontogenesis. As a control for the specificity of PGP 9.5 as a neuronal marker, the results were verified by immunocytochemical co-localization in peripheral nerves of neurone-specific enolase, neurofilaments and S-100 protein. The dental follicle received the first nerve fibres in the early cap stage. At this stage, fibroblasts differentiated in the presence of nerve fibres and formed the dental follicle surrounding the developing tooth. In the dental papilla, however, no fibres were demonstrated until the dentine and enamel matrices had formed, about half of the present height of the tooth germ. Most nerve fibres were localized in the basal part of the papilla until the last stage examined and usually followed the blood vessels of the papilla. Thus the effect of innervation on tooth development may be associated with the development of the dental follicle. A novel finding was that functional odontoblasts were not only positive for S-100 but also for PGP 9.5, indicating their neural crest origin.