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. 2010 Nov 16;1:150. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2010.00150

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Schematic representation of ameloblast modulation. A modulation wave moves from one ruffle-ended ameloblast (RA) to the next RA through smooth-ended ameloblasts (SA) in an incisal direction. The first RA exhibits distal tight junctions and a ruffled border but no claudin-1-positive Golgi apparatus staining (A). This RA then changes its shape to an SA morphology, where it loses the distal tight junctions and ruffled border but where the Golgi apparatus now stains positively for claudin-1 (B). The cell morphology then changes again to an RA shape, which exhibits distal tight junctions and a ruffled border but which also retains the positive staining of the Golgi with anti-claudin-1 (C). The Golgi apparatus may periodically provide tight junction precursors to the distal tight junction area. This scheme may explain how the alternative RA–SA bands that are observed in the maturation zone may arise. Proximal tight junction dynamics are still unclear (question marks). nG, anti-claudin-1-negative Golgi apparatus; pG, anti-claudin-1-positive Golgi apparatus.