Potassium is involved in apatite biomineralization.
The biogenetic formation of mineral crystals, one aspect of biomineralization, is a multistep process of apatite formation throughout the growth of dentin tissue. An important step is the transformation of the non-mineralized predentin matrix to mineralizing dentin matrix and its biological control. In this study, the high capacity of elemental mapping is combined with single x-ray point measurements to elucidate whether special elements are involved in initiation or regulation of mineral nucleation. Directly at the mineralization front, micro-areas with a strong co-enrichment of phosphorus (e.g., as phosphate) and potassium are found. During the beginning of the calcium enrichment and the subsequent apatite mineral formation in the characteristic micro-areas, the content of potassium decreases significantly. These findings indicate that potassium is involved in the process of dentin mineralization.
Klinik und Poliklinik für Mund- und Kiefer-Gesichtschirurgie, Universität Münster, Germany.
H P
HP
Wiesmann
U
U
Plate
K
K
Zierold
H J
HJ
Höhling
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis; D003460:Crystallization; D003804:Dentin / Q000737:chemistry*; D017886:Durapatite / Q000737:chemistry*; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000737:chemistry; D011188:Potassium / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012964:Sodium / Q000032:analysis; D013455:Sulfur / Q000032:analysis; D014074:Tooth Calcification / Q000502:physiology*
D013455:Sulfur; D017886:Durapatite; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium; D002118:Calcium