title: A red herring in vascular calcification: 'nanobacteria' are protein-mineral complexes involved in biomineralization.
abstract: Biomineralization at pathological extraosseous sites (i.e. vasculature and soft tissues) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. So-called 'nanobacteria' have been described as pathogenic agents causing many diseases including calcification. Initially, their appearance, and having a content consisting of nucleic acids plus proteins and properties of growing structures, suggested that they were living organisms. However, it could be demonstrated that the so-called nanobacteria were in fact mineralizing nanoparticles that contain mineral and non-mineral compounds, that these particles bind to charged molecules and that supersaturation enables in vitro growth of these nanoparticles. Recent data indicate that nanoparticles consisting of protein-mineral complexes can be seen both in vitro and in vivo as precursors of matrix calcification.
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schlieper
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krüger
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heiss
authors.forename: Willi
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jahnen-Dechent
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D059587:Calcifying Nanoparticles; D006801:Humans; D008903:Minerals / Q000378:metabolism*; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D059587:Calcifying Nanoparticles; D008903:Minerals