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. 2011 Apr 4;108(16):6503–6508. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1015449108

Fig. 1.

Fig. 1.

Pericytes can differentiate into odontoblasts following damage. NG2creER;Rosa26R pups were given one intraperitoneal injection of tamoxifen at P2 (4 mg/30 g body weight), and at 54 h after tamoxifen injection, mandibles on the left side were damaged by using a needle and the pups were culled 2 d (A and B) and 4 d (D and E) later. Right sides were used as controls (no damage) (C). After 2 d, the site of damage showed an eosinophilic cell matrix compatible with immature predentin (marked with asterisk) with close contact with NG2 LacZ-positive (NG2-positive) elongated odontoblast-like cells (A and B). At 4 d after damage, the number of LacZ-positive odontoblasts in close contact with the lesion greatly increased, showing clear signs of further differentiation with elongated bodies and long processes inside the reparative dentine (asterisk) canaliculus (D and E). Polarized light microscopy showed collagen fibrils in the reparative areas (asterisk), parallel to the odontoblast longitudinal axis (F). Black arrows show examples of LacZ-positive odontoblasts extending stubby processes inside the dentin matrix. De, dentin; PD, predentin.