Immunocytochemical investigation of the rat cementoblast phenotype

Recent studies have suggested that cementoblasts may be derived from osteoblast progenitor cells, although the cementoblast phenotype has not been extensively characterized. This immunocytochemical study was carried out to investigate the expression by rat cementoblasts of a number of proteins which are characteristic of the osteoblast phenotype. Paraffin sections from developing rat tooth germs and from fully formed adult rat teeth with surrounding tissues, were incubated with antibodies to type I & III collagen, osteocalcin, transforming growth factor beta (TGE beta), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1). Frozen sections and unfixed resin-embedded sections were stained for alkaline phosphatase activity. Cementum and bone matrix were strongly positive for type I collagen, although there was only weak staining for type III collagen. Cementum was also positive for osteocalcin, which was particularly strong in the matrix of acellular cementum. Most osteoblasts and cementoblasts of the cellular cementum showed intense staining for TGF beta and IGF1, although some cementocytes and osteocytes were negatively stained. The osteoblast- specific anti-E11 mAb reacted strongly with cementoblasts and newly formed cementocytes in the cellular cementum. Cells associated with acellular cementum did not express TGF beta, IGF1 or stain positively with anti-E11 antibody at any time during root development. Cementoblasts were weakly or negatively stained for alkaline phosphatase in contrast to the osteoblasts examined, which may reflect the low level of synthetic activity in cementoblasts. These results demonstrate that osteoblasts and cementoblasts of cellular cementum share many phenotypic characteristics, and also suggest that there may be phenotypic differences between cementoblasts associated with cellular and acellular cementum.