title: Multistep growth mechanism of calcium phosphate in the earliest stage of morphology-controlled biomineralization.
abstract: We studied the effect of surface-functional-group position on precipitate morphology in the earliest stage of calcium phosphate biomineralization and determined the detailed mechanism of precipitation starting from nucleation to precipitate growth. The biomineralization template was a β-sheet peptide scaffold prepared by adsorption with carboxyl groups arranged at strict 7 Å intervals. Phosphate was then introduced. Within 10 s, highly ordered embryos of calcium phosphate were formed and confined by a peptide nanofiber pattern. They repeatedly nucleated and dissolved, with the larger embryos absorbing the smaller ones in a clear demonstration of an Ostwald-ripening-like phenomenon, then aggregated in a line pattern, and finally formed highly ordered nanofibers of amorphous calcium phosphate. This multistep growth process constitutes the earliest stage of biomineralization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Frontier Materials, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8555, Japan.
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nonoyama
authors.forename: Takatoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagata
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Kimiyasu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kato
mesh_terms: D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D008903:Minerals / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D058525:Quartz Crystal Microbalance Techniques; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D008903:Minerals; C020243:calcium phosphate