Lectin binding patterns in regenerated rat junctional epithelium.

Junctional epithelium (JE) originates from reduced enamel epithelium and is replaced by cells from oral gingival epithelium (OGE) shortly after tooth eruption. Although derived from OGE, cells of JE exhibit both morphologic and functional differences from precursor tissue. We sought to elucidate these differences by investigating histochemical localization of cell surface glycoconjugates in regenerated epithelial cells following gingivectomy in the rat. Distribution and reaction patterns of lectins (Ulex europaeus agglutinin-I, peanut agglutinin, soybean agglutinin, and wheat germ agglutinin) were determined using both light and electron microscopy. We found that although regenerated JE derived from OGE following gingivectomy, its morphologic features as well as histochemical lectin patterns underwent transition to those of non-treated JE. These findings indicate that freshly regenerated JE and primary JE are morphologically and histochemically similar.