Differentiation of odontogenic tissues in organ culture

Molar tooth germs from 17-d-old mouse embryos were cultivated in a Trowell-type culture, and different culture media were tested for their ability to support enamel formation. The medium which allowed secretion of considerable amounts of enamel matrix by ameloblasts consisted of BGJb medium supplemented with 20% horse serum, 10% chick embryo extract and 0.9 mM ascorbic acid. At the onset of culture the teeth were in the early bell stage. After 2 weeks of cultivation both odontoblasts and ameloblasts had differentiated, and considerable amounts of predentin and enamel matrix had been secreted. Similar development was also seen in teeth which had been enzymatically separated into the mesenchymal dental papilla and epithelial enamal organ and subsequently recombined in vitro. This method allows good differentiation of odontogenic tissues, and is considered suitable for further studies of tissue interactions in the tooth rudiment.