Extraction of osteocalcin from fossil bones and teeth

Area of Science:

• Paleoproteomics
• Biochemistry
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Osteocalcin (bone Gla-protein) is a key non-collagenous bone matrix protein.
• Its stability and presence in fossilized remains are crucial for understanding ancient biology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detect and characterize osteocalcin in fossilized bovid bones and rodent teeth.
• To assess the potential for amino acid sequencing of ancient osteocalcin for phylogenetic analysis.

Main Methods:

• Detection of osteocalcin in fossil samples using immunological and biochemical techniques.
• Analysis of intact Gla-residues and antigenic activity.
• High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with ion exchange and size exclusion columns to compare with modern osteocalcin.

Main Results:

• Osteocalcin was successfully detected in fossil bovid bones (12,000 to 13 million years old) and rodent teeth (30 million years old).
• Both antigenic activity and protein-bound Gla-residues were preserved in the ancient osteocalcin.
• The fossil osteocalcin was indistinguishable from recent bovine osteocalcin via HPLC analysis.

Conclusions:

• Osteocalcin is remarkably stable and detectable in ancient fossilized materials over millions of years.
• The preservation of osteocalcin's structure offers a potential new avenue for determining amino acid sequences from fossils.
• This could revolutionize phylogenetic studies of extinct taxa by providing molecular data from ancient specimens.