THE LOCALIZATION AND INTERRELATION OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AND ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE IN THE DEVELOPING TOOTH

¹ Department of Histology, College of Dentistry, and the Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York University, New York, N. Y.

A histochemical study has been undertaken with special reference to the localization of nucleic acids in the developing tooth. We have shown that the odontoblasts and ameloblasts acquire considerable amounts of cytoplasmic RNA in the period during which dentin and enamel are elaborated. We have also shown that RNA and alkaline phosphatase coexist in terms of time and localization in these cells. While we cannot draw any definite conclusions as to the role these two substances may play in the process of calcification, it appears from our observations that the possibility that nucleic acid is implicated in some phase of the calcifying mechanism must be considered as a likely possibility.