Hierarchical self-assembly of amelogenin and the regulation of biomineralization at the nanoscale

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 108; no. 34; pp. 14097 - 14102
• Main Authors: Fang, Ping-An, Conway, James F., Margolis, Henry C., Simmer, James P., Beniash, Elia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 23.08.2011; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Amelogenin - metabolism; Amelogenin - ultrastructure; Animals; Biological Sciences; Biomineralogy; Calcification, Physiologic - physiology; Calcium phosphates; Calcium Phosphates - metabolism; Cryoelectron Microscopy; Crystals; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Mice; Minerals; Molecules; Monomers; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Oligomers; Peptides; Physiological regulation; Proteins; Self assembly; Tooth enamel

Enamel is a highly organized hierarchical nanocomposite, which consists of parallel arrays of elongated apatitic crystallites forming an intricate three-dimensional microstructure. Amelogenin, the major extracellular matrix protein of dental enamel, regulates the formation of these crystalline array...