title: The predominant role of collagen in the nucleation, growth, structure and orientation of bone apatite.
abstract: The involvement of collagen in bone biomineralization is commonly admitted, yet its role remains unclear. Here we show that type I collagen in vitro can initiate and orientate the growth of carbonated apatite mineral in the absence of any other vertebrate extracellular matrix molecules of calcifying tissues. We also show that the collagen matrix influences the structural characteristics on the atomic scale, and controls the size and the three-dimensional distribution of apatite at larger length scales. These results call into question recent consensus in the literature on the need for Ca-rich non-collagenous proteins for collagen mineralization to occur in vivo. Our model is based on a collagen/apatite self-assembly process that combines the ability to mimic the in vivo extracellular fluid with three major features inherent to living bone tissue, that is, high fibrillar density, monodispersed fibrils and long-range hierarchical organization.
authors: Laboratoire Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, UMR 7574 CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors: Yan
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Thierry
authors: T
authors: Azaïs
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Robin
authors: Anne
authors: A
authors: Vallée
authors: Chelsea
authors: C
authors: Catania
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Legriel
authors: Gérard
authors: G
authors: Pehau-Arnaudet
authors: Florence
authors: F
authors: Babonneau
authors: Marie-Madeleine
authors: MM
authors: Giraud-Guille
authors: Nadine
authors: N
authors: Nassif
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001031:Apatites / Q000737:chemistry*; D001846:Bone Development / Q000502:physiology*; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002113:Calcification, Physiologic / Q000502:physiology; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D051381:Rats; D012756:Sheep; D013623:Tail; D013710:Tendons
chemical_list: D001031:Apatites; D024042:Collagen Type I