Immunochemical localization of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan lumican in human predentine and dentine

The immunocalization of the small interstitial leucine-rich keratan sulphate proteoglycan lumican was studied in human teeth using a polyclonal antibody towards lumican and a standard indirect peroxidase technique. There was intense labelling for lumican in predentine, with immunopositivity also observed in and around the tubules, around the odontoblasts and in the pulp with a fibrillar distribution. The previous reported ability of lumican to control collagen fibrillogenesis and it putative function in collagen spacing suggest potential roles for lumican in predentine in relation to mineralization.