Elemental distribution analysis of type I collagen fibrils in tilapia fish scale with energy-filtered transmission electron microscope.
Elemental distribution of calcium, phosphorus, oxygen, and carbon in a single collagen fibril obtained from tilapia fish scales was identified with an electron energy-loss spectroscopy and an energy-filtered transmission electron microscopy, for the first time. The carbon intensity profile of the single collagen fibril showed the specific D-periodic pattern at 67 nm of type I collagen fibrils. The calcium L(2,3)-edge and oxygen K-edge peak positions were detected at 347/350 eV and 137 eV, respectively, and these positions were identical to those of hydroxyapatite. Calcium, phosphorus, and oxygen were present in the hole zones as the amorphous phase, while carbon was present in the overlap zone. Our results indicated that the hole zones preferentially attract calcium and phosphate ions and thus serve as possible nucleation sites for mineralization.
Biomaterials Center, National Institute for Materials Science, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan.
Mitsuhiro
M
Okuda
Masaki
M
Takeguchi
Motohiro
M
Tagaya
Toru
T
Tonegawa
Ayako
A
Hashimoto
Nobutaka
N
Hanagata
Toshiyuki
T
Ikoma
D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000032:analysis*; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis*; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000737:chemistry*; D046032:Microscopy, Energy-Filtering Transmission Electron; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis*; D017210:Tilapia / Q000033:anatomy & histology
D024042:Collagen Type I; D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D010100:Oxygen; D002118:Calcium