Degradation of Collagen in the Developing Enameloid of Sea Bream

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In order to study the degradation of the collagenous component in the developingenameloid matrix of the sea bream, we prepared the developing tooth germs of this fish, which provided representative samples of three different developmental stages: gel like, cheese-like, and chalk-like enameloid. At each stage the sample was examined by enzymography using gelatin. Intense gelatinolytic activities of three different molecular weights in the range of 30-36 kD were detected in the cheese-like, and chalk like developmental stages of the enameloid matrix sample. Proteolytic activity was not found in the dental epithelial cells or dental papilla. The collagenous matrix of the enameloid at each stage was soluble in 0.5 M acetic acid and consisted of α-chains only, although the β- and γ-chains were observed in the sea bream skin. These results indicate that cross-links are not formed in either the inter- or intra- molecular sites of the collagen in the enameloid matrix. In addition, breakdown products of collagen were not observed in the enameloid matrix on electrophoresis. We consider, therefore, that breakdown of collagen prior to its removal from the enameloid matrix of the sea bream during the course of development may be due to splitting of the telopeptide from the collagen molecule by proteolysis.
硬組織再生生物学会の論文