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Updated: Aug 17, 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
Osteocalcin-hydroxyapatite interaction in the extracellular organic matrix of bone
1Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
Abstract:
Osteocalcin, a major noncollagenous matrix protein of bone, dentin, and cementum, is found in tight association with the calcium phosphate mineral phase of these tissues. This article reviews the structural data for osteocalcin relevant to mineral adsorption. The equilibrium-binding properties for Ca2+ ions and hydroxyapatite are considered, along with the apparent physicochemical effects of osteocalcin on bone mineral dynamics. Several of osteocalcin's possible biological activities (involvement in mineralization, chemoattraction, and leukocyte elastase inhibition) are discussed in relation to the mineral-adsorption characteristics of this protein.
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