title: Fetuin is the key for nanon self-propagation.
abstract: "Nanobacteria", also known as nanons or calciprotein particles (CPP), are nano-sized protein mineral complexes which have been isolated from numerous biological sources. Nanons possess self-replication properties and contain only serum proteins (e.g. Fetuin-A, Albumin). Herein, we develop a simplified in vitro model of nanons propagation composed of only fetuin-A as a protein. Using this model, we demonstrate that fetuin from nanons possesses a different, non-native conformation. Moreover, we show that nanons induce soluble fetuin-A precipitation which could serve as a template for calcification. This phenomenon explains the observed self-propagating properties that mimic infectious behavior. We also demonstrate that renal calculi are capable of inducing a conformational change in fetuin-A, suggesting that the propagation phenomenon of nanons may occur in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chabrière
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Said
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azza
authors.affiliation: Université de Lorraine, CRM2, CNRS, UMR 7036, Institut Jean Barriol, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, 54506 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France.
authors.forename: Pierrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Durand
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Farooq A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Shiekh
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, Service de Néphrologie, Hôpital de la Conception, Bd Baille, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Moal
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Baudoin
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pagnier
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, URMITE, UMR CNRS 7278, IRD 198, INSERM U1095, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Faculté de Médecine, 27 Bd Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseille, France. Electronic address: didier.raoult@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059587:Calcifying Nanoparticles / Q000378:metabolism*; D002114:Calcinosis; D002417:Cattle; D011232:Chemical Precipitation; D011487:Protein Conformation; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D059587:Calcifying Nanoparticles; D060749:alpha-2-HS-Glycoprotein
keywords: CPP; Calcification; Fetuin A; Nanobacteria; Nanons; Self-propagating proteins