The periodontium is a topographically complex organ consisting of epithelial tissue, soft and mineralized tissues. Structures comprising the periodontium include the gingiva, periodontal ligament (PDL), cementum and the alveolar bone. The molecular mechanism of differentiation in PDL fibroblast cells remain unclear. Amino acid transporters play an important role in supplying nutrition to normal and cancer cells and for cell proliferation. Amino acid transport system L is a major nutrient transport system responsible for the Na+-independent transport of neutral amino acids including several essential amino acids. The system L is divided into two major subgroups, the L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1) and the L-type amino acid transporter 2 (LAT2). In this study, the expression pattern of amino acid transport system L was, therefore, investigated in the differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells.

To determine the expression level of amino acid transport system L participating in intracellular transport of amino acids in the differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells, it was examined by RT-PCR, observation of cell morphology, Alizaline red-S staining and uptake analysis after inducing experimental differentiation in PDL fibroblast cells isolated from mouse molar teeth. The results are as follows.

1. The LAT1 mRNA was expressed in the early stage of PDL fibroblast cell differentiation. This expression level was gradually reduced by differentiation-inducing time and it was not observed after the late stage.

2. The expression level of LAT2 mRNA was increased in time-dependent manner during differentiation induction of PDL fibroblast cells.

3. There was no changes in the expression level of 4F2hc mRNA, the cofactor of LAT1 and LAT2, during differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells.

4. The expression level of ALP mRNA was gradually increased and the expression level of Col I mRNA was decreased during differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells.

5. The L-leucine transport was reduced by time from the early stage to the late stage in PDL fibroblast cell differentiation.

As the results, it is considered that among neutral amino acid transport system L in differentiation of PDL fibroblast cells, the LAT1 has a key role in cell proliferation in the early stage of cell differentiation and the LAT2 has an important role in the late stage of cell differentiation for providing cells with neutral amino acids including several essential amino acids.