Abstract:

BACKGROUND: To understand self-assembly and branching of primary salivary epithelial cells will provide insights into reconstructing artifical salivary gland orgnoid.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the machanism of self-organization and branching mophogenesis of primary submandibular epithelial cells under three-dimensional condition.
METHODS: The embryonic day 15 (E 15) mouse submandibular gland epithelium were inoculated in matrigel for 3-dimantional culture with/without (Group A/Group B) anti-E-cadherin and and anti-β-catenin. The contructs of these cells aggregation were observed under inverted microscope at days 1, 6, 12. The contructs were observed with cytokeratin 19 immunohistochemistry staining, and identified with Cadherin and β-catenin immunostaining and confocal microscopy.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The constructs were observed under inverted microscope and analyzed by antibody of cytokeratin 19 with immunohistochemistry, and identified with cadherin and β-catenin immunostaining and confocal microscopy. In Group A, branching morphogenesis and acinar-like structure were not observed. In Group B, these contructs could be formed at day 12. In Group A, weak green fruorescence of E-cadherin and β-catenin expressed weakly. In Group B, they expressed strongly, and in the cytoplasm. MOD was lower in Group A than Group B (P < 0.01). E-cadherin and β-catenin are two important factors during the embryonic submandibular salivary gland epithelium self-organization.