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Structural biology of calcium phosphate nanoclusters sequestered by phosphoproteins

Lenton, Samuel LU ; Wang, Qian ; Nylander, Tommy LU ; Teixeira, Susana and Holt, Carl (2020) In Crystals 10(9).
Abstract

Biofluids that contain stable calcium phosphate nanoclusters sequestered by phosphopeptides make it possible for soft and hard tissues to co-exist in the same organism with relative ease. The stability diagram of a solution of nanocluster complexes shows how the minimum concentration of phosphopeptide needed for stability increases with pH. In the stable region, amorphous calcium phosphate cannot precipitate. Nevertheless, if the solution is brought into contact with hydroxyapatite, the crystalline phase will grow at the expense of the nanocluster complexes. The physico-chemical principles governing the formation, composition, size, structure, and stability of the complexes are described. Examples are given of complexes formed by... (More)

Biofluids that contain stable calcium phosphate nanoclusters sequestered by phosphopeptides make it possible for soft and hard tissues to co-exist in the same organism with relative ease. The stability diagram of a solution of nanocluster complexes shows how the minimum concentration of phosphopeptide needed for stability increases with pH. In the stable region, amorphous calcium phosphate cannot precipitate. Nevertheless, if the solution is brought into contact with hydroxyapatite, the crystalline phase will grow at the expense of the nanocluster complexes. The physico-chemical principles governing the formation, composition, size, structure, and stability of the complexes are described. Examples are given of complexes formed by casein, osteopontin, and recombinant phosphopeptides. Application of these principles and properties to blood serum, milk, urine, and resting saliva is described to show that under physiological conditions they are in the stable region of their stability diagram and so cannot cause soft tissue calcification. Stimulated saliva, however, is in the metastable region, consistent with its role in tooth remineralization. Destabilization of biofluids, with consequential ill-effects, can occur when there is a failure of homeostasis, such as an increase in pH without a balancing increase in the concentration of sequestering phosphopeptides.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Biocalcification, Calcium phosphate, Milk, Phosphoprotein, Saliva, Serum, Urine
in
Crystals
volume
10
issue
9
article number
755
pages
45 pages
publisher
MDPI AG
external identifiers
  • scopus:85093892040
ISSN
2073-4352
DOI
10.3390/cryst10090755
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c31dd0e5-d591-40e5-b13e-e438dfc971f2
date added to LUP
2020-11-10 10:37:56
date last changed
2023-11-20 14:24:14
@article{c31dd0e5-d591-40e5-b13e-e438dfc971f2,
  abstract     = {{<p>Biofluids that contain stable calcium phosphate nanoclusters sequestered by phosphopeptides make it possible for soft and hard tissues to co-exist in the same organism with relative ease. The stability diagram of a solution of nanocluster complexes shows how the minimum concentration of phosphopeptide needed for stability increases with pH. In the stable region, amorphous calcium phosphate cannot precipitate. Nevertheless, if the solution is brought into contact with hydroxyapatite, the crystalline phase will grow at the expense of the nanocluster complexes. The physico-chemical principles governing the formation, composition, size, structure, and stability of the complexes are described. Examples are given of complexes formed by casein, osteopontin, and recombinant phosphopeptides. Application of these principles and properties to blood serum, milk, urine, and resting saliva is described to show that under physiological conditions they are in the stable region of their stability diagram and so cannot cause soft tissue calcification. Stimulated saliva, however, is in the metastable region, consistent with its role in tooth remineralization. Destabilization of biofluids, with consequential ill-effects, can occur when there is a failure of homeostasis, such as an increase in pH without a balancing increase in the concentration of sequestering phosphopeptides.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lenton, Samuel and Wang, Qian and Nylander, Tommy and Teixeira, Susana and Holt, Carl}},
  issn         = {{2073-4352}},
  keywords     = {{Biocalcification; Calcium phosphate; Milk; Phosphoprotein; Saliva; Serum; Urine}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{9}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{Crystals}},
  title        = {{Structural biology of calcium phosphate nanoclusters sequestered by phosphoproteins}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cryst10090755}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/cryst10090755}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}