Primary Enamel Knot Cells (EnK)

Primary enamel knot cells appear during the transition from the bud to the cap stage and are fully differentiated by the beginning of the cap stage. These cells do not proliferate, but stimulate the adjacent epithelial cells to proliferate and form cervical loops, while simultaneously supporting proliferation of mesenchymal cells to form the dental papilla. By the beginning of the bell stage, primary enamel knot cells are cleared by apoptosis.