Abstract
A fundamental question in biomineralization is the nature of the first-formed mineral phase. In vertebrate bone formation, this issue has been the subject of a long-standing controversy. We address this key issue using the continuously growing fin bony rays of the Tuebingen long-fin zebrafish as a model for bone mineralization. Employing high-resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy imaging, electron diffraction, and elemental analysis, we demonstrate the presence of an abundant amorphous calcium phosphate phase in the newly formed fin bones. The extracted amorphous mineral particles crystallize with time, and mineral crystallinity increases during bone maturation. Based on these findings, we propose that this amorphous calcium phosphate phase may be a precursor phase that later transforms into the mature crystalline mineral.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 12748-12753 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Volume | 105 |
Issue number | 35 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2 Sep 2008 |
Keywords
- Biomineralization
- Fish fin