title: Inhibition of calcium oxalate crystal growth in vitro by uropontin: another member of the aspartic acid-rich protein superfamily.
abstract: The majority of human urinary stones are primarily composed of calcium salts. Although normal urine is frequently supersaturated with respect to calcium oxalate, most humans do not form stones. Inhibitors are among the multiple factors that may influence the complex process of urinary stone formation. We have isolated an inhibitor of calcium oxalate crystal growth from human urine by monoclonal antibody immunoaffinity chromatography. The N-terminal amino acid sequence and acidic amino acid content of this aspartic acid-rich protein, uropontin, are similar to those of other pontin proteins from bone, plasma, breast milk, and cells. The inhibitory effect of uropontin on calcium oxalate crystal growth in vitro supports the concept that pontins may have a regulatory role. This function would be analogous to that of other members of the aspartic acid-rich protein superfamily, which stereospecifically regulate the mineralization fronts of calcium-containing crystals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shiraga
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: VanDusen
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Clayman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miner
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Terrell
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Sherbotie
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Foreman
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Przysiecki
authors.forename: E G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Neilson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D053495:Osteopontin; D011506:Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000652:urine*; D001744:Urinary Bladder Calculi / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011506:Proteins; C506895:SPP1 protein, human; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D053495:Osteopontin; D002129:Calcium Oxalate; D001224:Aspartic Acid