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Updated: Oct 13, 2026

Analysis of Minerals Produced by hFOB 1.19 and Saos-2 Cells Using Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis
Published on: June 24, 2018
Inhibition of apatite formation by vitronectin
M Padrines1, R Rohanizadeh, C Damiens
1Laboratoire de physiopathologie de la résorption osseuse, EE 99-01 Université de Nantes, 1 place Alexis Ricordeau, BP 84215, 44042 Nantes Cedex 01, France. Marc.Padrines@sante.univ-nantes.fr
Abstract:
This study investigated the concentration-dependent effect of vitronectin (VN), a glycoprotein of the bone matrix, on apatite formation and growth. Precipitation trials in metastable solution and in a pH-controlled solution system showed an inhibition of apatite microcrystal formation by VN. In the presence of biphasic calcium-phosphate ceramic, transmission electron microscopy showed a reduction of precipitated microcrystal size: precipitates were significantly smaller than in ionic simulated body fluid without proteins or in the presence of type I collagen as a negative control. Moreover, the size of the precipitated microcrystals was reduced in a dose-dependent manner. Two indirect methods showed that calcium-phosphate precipitation was inhibited by VN. It would appear that VN prevents apatite formation by inhibiting the growth of apatite crystals rather than by secondary nucleation, as in the case of osteopontin, a bone-specific protein.
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