Microtubule and microfilament populations of cell processes in the dental pulp

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Abstract
An attempt has been made to characterize the nature of the unidentified cell processes participating in gap junctions in the odontoblast layer. In peripheral and pulpal nerves, there is a strong relationship between axon caliber and microfilament and microtubule populations. This characteristic, together with the ratio of microtubules to microfilaments, has been measured and compared for four types of cell processes found in the dental pulp, including those participating in gap junctions. The processes taking part in the gap junctions cannot be distinguished from pulpal axons on the basis of microtubule-to-microfilament ratio nor on the relationship between microtubule and microfilament population and process caliber. While these findings do not prove that the “gap members” are nerve fibers, it does support the hypothesis that the processes taking part in gap junctions in the peripheral dental pulp are nerve fibers.