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Published on: July 10, 2014
Transient amorphous calcium phosphate in forming enamel.
Elia Beniash1, Rebecca A Metzler, Raymond S K Lam
1University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Department of Oral Biology, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. ebeniash@dental.pitt.edu
Newly formed tooth enamel mineral is amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), which dictates mature enamel structure before crystallization. This transient phase may be a universal mineralization strategy in biological tissues.
Area of Science:
- Biomineralization
- Materials Science
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Tooth enamel, the body's hardest tissue, forms from a mineral-protein matrix.
- Understanding enamel's initial mineral structure is key to deciphering its formation mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the early-stage mineral phase in developing murine tooth enamel.
- To investigate the role of initial mineral structure in determining mature enamel organization.
Main Methods:
- X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectromicroscopy
- Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
- FTIR microspectroscopy
- Polarized light microscopy
Main Results:
- Newly formed enamel mineral is amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP).
- ACP transforms into apatitic crystals, but initial particle size, shape, and organization remain consistent.
- Mineral morphology and organization are established before crystallization.
Conclusions:
- Tooth enamel formation involves a transient amorphous calcium phosphate phase.
- The observed mineralization strategy in enamel may be conserved across various biological systems.
- Initial mineral structure dictates the final organization of biological hard tissues.
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