Application of Laser Capture Microdissection to Periodontal Tissue

Abstract

The features of cementum and periodontal ligament (PDL) remain poorly defined and a specific marker for cementum or PDL has not been identified. We therefore aimed to isolate RNA from cementoblasts and PDL cells of mouse mandibular molars using laser capture microdissection (LCM). Murine mandibular frozen sections were prepared using Tape Transfer System. Over 500 cementoblasts and PDL cells were separately captured. The quality of total RNA extracted from specimens and isolated RNAs was determined using an Agilent bioanalyzer, which detected 18s and 28s peaks in the dissected tissue, suggesting good RNA preservation. We then amplified the RNA, synthesized antisense RNA and performed RT-PCR analyses. The mRNA expression of GAPDH and bone-associated markers was detected. These results suggest that LCM is useful for comparing mRNA expression in adjacent tissues.