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Milita S, Zaquin T, Fermani S, Montroni D, Pinkas I, Barba L, Falini G, Mass T. Assembly of the Intraskeletal Coral Organic Matrix during Calcium Carbonate Formation. CRYSTAL GROWTH & DESIGN 2023; 23:5801-5811. [PMID: 37547884 PMCID: PMC10401569 DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.3c00401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Scleractinia coral skeleton formation occurs by a heterogeneous process of nucleation and growth of aragonite in which intraskeletal soluble organic matrix molecules, usually referred to as SOM, play a key role. Several studies have demonstrated that they influence the shape and polymorphic precipitation of calcium carbonate. However, the structural aspects that occur during the growth of aragonite have received less attention. In this research, we study the deposition of calcium carbonate on a model substrate, silicon, in the presence of SOM extracted from the skeleton of two coral species representative of different living habitats and colonization strategies, which we previously characterized. The study is performed mainly by grazing incidence X-ray diffraction with the support of Raman spectroscopy and electron and optical microscopies. The results show that SOM macromolecules once adsorbed on the substrate self-assembled in a layered structure and induced the oriented growth of calcite, inhibiting the formation of vaterite. Differently, when SOM macromolecules were dispersed in solution, they induced the deposition of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), still preserving a layered structure. The entity of these effects was species-dependent, in agreement with previous studies. In conclusion, we observed that in the setup required by the experimental procedure, the SOM from corals appears to present a 2D lamellar structure. This structure is preserved when the SOM interacts with ACC but is lost when the interaction occurs with calcite. This knowledge not only is completely new for coral biomineralization but also has strong relevance in the study of biomineralization on other organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Milita
- CNR—Institute
for Microelectronic and Microsystems, via Gobetti 101, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Tal Zaquin
- Department
of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Simona Fermani
- Department
of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, Bologna 40126, Italy
- Interdepartmental
Centre for Industrial Research Health Sciences & Technologie, University of Bologna, Bologna 40064, Italy
| | - Devis Montroni
- Department
of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, Bologna 40126, Italy
| | - Iddo Pinkas
- Department
of Chemical Research Support, Weizmann Institute
of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Luisa Barba
- CNR
-Institute
of Crystallography, Elettra Synchrotron, Trieste I-34100, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Falini
- Department
of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, via Selmi 2, Bologna 40126, Italy
- CNR,
Institute for Nanostructured
Materials, via Gobetti
101, Bologna 40129, Italy
| | - Tali Mass
- Department
of Marine Biology, The Leon H. Charney School of Marine Sciences, University of Haifa, Mt. Carmel, Haifa 3498838, Israel
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Chang R, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Han B, Chen F, Chen Y. Phosphorylated and Phosphonated Low-Complexity Protein Segments for Biomimetic Mineralization and Repair of Tooth Enamel. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2103829. [PMID: 34978158 PMCID: PMC8867149 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202103829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Biomimetic mineralization based on self-assembly has made great progress, providing bottom-up strategies for the construction of new organic-inorganic hybrid materials applied in the treatment of hard tissue defects. Herein, inspired by the cooperative effects of key components in biomineralization microenvironments, a new type of biocompatible peptide scaffold based on flexibly self-assembling low-complexity protein segments (LCPSs) containing phosphate or phosphonate groups is developed. These LCPSs can retard the transformation of amorphous calcium phosphate into hydroxyapatite (HAP), leading to merged mineralization structures. Moreover, the application of phosphonated LCPS over phosphorylated LCPS can prevent hydrolysis by phosphatases that are enriched in extracellular mineralization microenvironments. After being coated on the etched tooth enamel, these LCPSs facilitate the growth of HAP to generate new enamel layers comparable to the natural layers and mitigate the adhesion of Streptococcus mutans. In addition, they can effectively stimulate the differentiation pathways of osteoblasts. These results shed light on the potential biomedical applications of two LCPSs in hard tissue repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education)Department of ChemistryTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Yang‐Jia Liu
- Central LaboratoryPeking University Hospital of StomatologyBeijing100081China
| | - Yun‐Lai Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education)Department of ChemistryTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Shi‐Ying Zhang
- Central LaboratoryPeking University Hospital of StomatologyBeijing100081China
| | - Bei‐Bei Han
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education)Department of ChemistryTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
| | - Feng Chen
- Central LaboratoryPeking University Hospital of StomatologyBeijing100081China
| | - Yong‐Xiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Phosphorus Chemistry and Chemical Biology (Ministry of Education)Department of ChemistryTsinghua UniversityBeijing100084China
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Bianco-Stein N, Polishchuk I, Lang A, Atiya G, Villanova J, Zaslansky P, Katsman A, Pokroy B. Structural and chemical variations in Mg-calcite skeletal segments of coralline red algae lead to improved crack resistance. Acta Biomater 2021; 130:362-373. [PMID: 34087436 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.05.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The calcareous alga Jania sp. is an articulated coralline red seaweed that is abundant in the shallow waters of oceans worldwide. We have previously demonstrated that its structure is highly intricate and exhibits hierarchical organization across multiple length scales from the macro to the nano scale. Moreover, we have proven that the inner pores of its structure are helical, conveying the alga greater compliance as compared to a cylindrical configuration. Herein, we reveal new insights into the structure of Jania sp., particularly, its crystallographic variations and the internal elemental distribution of Mg and Ca. We show that the high-Mg calcite cell wall nanocrystals of Jania sp. are arranged in layers with alternating Mg contents. Moreover, we show that this non-homogenous elemental distribution assists the alga in preventing fracture caused by crack propagation. We further reveal that each one of the cell wall nanocrystals in Jania sp. is not a single crystal as was previously thought, but rather comprises Mg-rich calcite nanoparticles demonstrating various crystallographic orientations, arranged periodically within the layered structure. We also show that these Mg-rich nanoparticles are present in yet another species of the coralline red algae, Corallina sp., pointing to the generality of this phenomenon. To the best of our knowledge this is a first report on the existence of Mg-rich nanoparticles in algal mineralized tissue. We envisage that our findings on the bio-strategy found in the algae to enhance their fracture toughness will have an impact on the design of structures with superior mechanical properties. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Understanding the structure-property relation in biomineralized tissues is of great importance in unveiling Nature's material design strategies, which form the basis for the development of novel structural materials. Crystallographic and elemental variations in the skeletal parts of the coralline red algae and their cumulative contribution to prevention of mechanical failure are yet poorly studied. Herein, we reveal that the high-Mg calcite cell wall nanocrystals of Jania sp. are arranged in layers with alternating Mg concentrations and that this organization facilitates crack deflection, thereby preventing catastrophic fracture. We further discovered that the nanocrystals contain incoherent Mg-rich nanoparticles and suggest that they form via spinodal decomposition of the Mg-ACC precursor and self-arrange periodically throughout the alga's mineralized cell wall, a phenomenon most likely to be widespread in high-Mg calcite biomineralization.
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Shaked H, Polishchuk I, Nagel A, Bekenstein Y, Pokroy B. Long-term stabilized amorphous calcium carbonate-an ink for bio-inspired 3D printing. Mater Today Bio 2021; 11:100120. [PMID: 34337378 PMCID: PMC8318986 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2021.100120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Biominerals formed by organisms in the course of biomineralization often demonstrate complex morphologies despite their single-crystalline nature. This is achieved owing to the crystallization via a predeposited amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) phase, a precursor that is particularly widespread in biominerals. Inspired by this natural strategy, we used robocasting, an additive manufacturing three-dimensional (3D) printing technique, for printing 3D objects from novel long-term, Mg-stabilized ACC pastes with high solids loading. We demonstrated, for the first time, that the ACC remains stable for at least a couple of months, even after printing. Crystallization, if desired, occurs only after the 3D object is already formed and at temperatures significantly lower than those of common postprinting sintering. We also examined the effects different organic binders have on the crystallization, the morphology, and the final amount of incorporated Mg. This novel bio-inspired method may pave the way for a new bio-inspired route to low-temperature 3D printing of ceramic materials for a multitude of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- H. Shaked
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - I. Polishchuk
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - A. Nagel
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Y. Bekenstein
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - B. Pokroy
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Russell Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
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