Figure 3. After a partial gingivectomy, a regenerated JE re-establishes its Wnt-responsiveness.
Pentachrome staining was used to analyze the morphology with the samples from (A) intact, post-GV day (B)1, (C) 3, (D) 5, (E) 7, and (F) 14. (G) One dose of tamoxifen was given to Axin2CreERT2/+;R26RmTmG/+ mice and GFP+ve cells were analyzed 5 days later. (H) EdU staining was performed to visualize proliferating cells. On post-GV day 1, (I) the progeny of Wnt-responsive cells, and (J) the cell proliferation were analyzed. On post-GV day 3, (K) the progeny of Wnt-responsive cells, and (L) the cell proliferation were analyzed. On post-GV day 5, (M) the progeny of Wnt-responsive cells, and (N) the cell proliferation were analyzed. On post-GV day7, (Q) the progeny of Wnt-responsive cells, (P) the cell proliferation, and (Q) Laminin 5 expression were analyzed. On post-GV day 14, (R) the progeny of Wnt-responsive cells and cell proliferation, and (S) Laminin 5 expression were analyzed. (T) An illustration of the healing process after a gingivectomy. (U) Pentachrome staining showing the two epithelial populations co-existed on post-GV day 3. The blue arrow points the non-keratinized epithelium tissue around the tooth. (V) lineage tracing shows two GFP+ve populations co-existed on post-GV day 3. The green star indicates the GFP+ve population around the tooth. (W) An illustration showing both JE and OE contribute to the regeneration after a gingivectomy.
Dashed blue lines indicate the shape of enamel. Dotted black and dotted white lines indicate the demarcation between the epithelium and the connective tissue. Abbreviations: GV, gingivectomy; M1, molar 1; je, junctional epithelium; oe, oral epithelium; e, enamel space. Scale bars: 50 μm.