The Organic Matrix, Mineral Phase and Bone Mineralization

THE ORGANIC MATRIX, MINERAL PHASE AND BONE MINERALIZATION 

The enamel of mammalian teeth is much more heavily mineralized than bone, which makes it much harder. In addition, it does not contain collagen, although in its final mature state it does contain small amounts of specialized matrix proteins. Early tooth development is a classical illustration of the interaction between two tissue types (epithelial cells and 

Finally, it is intriguing that in terms of biomineralization, invertebrates have based their reliance on calcium carbonates, while vertebrates appear to have used almost exclusively calcium phosphate. We say almost, because, while the use of calcium phosphates for biomineralization is an invention of some vertebrates, they still use calcium carbonate for the formation of otoliths4 of the inner ear. It remains to be established if the equivalent of the gene starmaker required for otolith formation in zebrafish has homologues among invertebrates. 

Crichton, R.R. (2001) Inorganic Biochemistry of Iron Metabolism From Molecular Mechanisms to Clinical Consequences. John Wiley Sons, Chichester, pp. 326. 

Pullianen, A.T., Haataja, S., Mayer-Klauke, W., Finne, J. and Papageorghiou, A.C. (2006) Iron incorporation in Streptococcus suis Dps-like peroxide resistance protein Dpr requires mobility in the ferroxidase center and leads to the formation of a ferrihydrite-like core, J. Mol. Biol., 364, 97-109. 

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