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Biointerphases

Journal for Biophysical Chemistry

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Structural dynamics of a colloidal protein-mineral complex bestowing on calcium phosphate a high solubility in biological fluids

Biointerphases volume 2, pages 16–20 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

The concentration of mineral solutes in mammalian blood is considerably higher than that predicted by their solubility product. The plasma protein fetuin-A inhibits calcium phosphate deposition by forming colloidal calciprotein particles (CPPs). In this article the authors present a detailed small angle neutron scattering study including contrast variation analysis providing detailed quantitative information on the three-dimensional topology of the CPPs and on their morphogenesis. In detail the authors found the following: (i) A two stage growth process showing spontaneously formed primary particles with a size of about 500 Å diameter that subsequently transformed to 1000 Å sized particles which were stable for at least 24 h. (ii) A particular shielding topology was observed for the second CPP state, namely, that a densely packed fetuin-A monolayer covers a mineral core and thereby prevents further crystal growth. (iii) Transmission electron microscopy analysis of in vitro synthesized second state CPPs revealed striking similarities to material retrieved from a human peritonitis patient. This latter finding underscores the importance of short- and long-term stabilizations of CPPs by fetuin-A to enable clearing of mineral debris in the body.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Biomedical Engineering, Biointerface Group, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstrasse 30, D-52074, Aachen, Germany

    A. Heiss & W. Jahnen-Dechent

  2. Institute for Solid State Research, Research Center Jülich, D-52425, Jülich, Germany

    H. Endo & D. Schwahn

Authors
  1. A. Heiss
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  2. W. Jahnen-Dechent
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  3. H. Endo
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  4. D. Schwahn
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Correspondence to A. Heiss or D. Schwahn.

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Heiss, A., Jahnen-Dechent, W., Endo, H. et al. Structural dynamics of a colloidal protein-mineral complex bestowing on calcium phosphate a high solubility in biological fluids. Biointerphases 2, 16–20 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2714924

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1116/1.2714924