An in situ hybridization study of syndecan family during the late stages of developing mouse molar tooth germ.

Expression of syndecan-1, 2, 3, and 4 mRNAs during the late stages of tooth germ formation was investigated by in situ hybridization, using [ 35 S]-UTP-labeled cRNA probes. Syndecan-1 mRNA was mainly expressed in the stellate reticulum and stratum intermedium as well as at the cervical region of dental papilla/dental follicle during E18.5-P3.0. Expression in the dental epithelium was enhanced during the postnatal periods, which was supported by real-time RT-PCR analysis. These spatiotemporal expression patterns may suggest specific roles of syndecan-1 in tooth formation such as tooth eruption or root formation. Syndecan-3 mRNA expression became evident in odontoblasts at E18.5, but compared to collagen type I mRNA, which was strongly expressed at this stage, syndecan-3 expression in odontoblast was restricted in mature odontoblasts beneath the cusps during the postnatal periods. This result was also supported by real-time RT-PCR analysis, and indicated that syndecan-3 may be involved in the progress of dentinogenesis rather than in the initiation of it. Syndecan-4 mRNA roughly showed comparable expression patterns to those of syndecan-3. Syndecan-2 mRNA did not show significant expression during the experimental period, but real-time RT-PCR analysis suggested that syndecan-2 expression might be enhanced with hard tissue formation.