Search results for "MINERALIZATION"
showing 10 items of 312 documents
The evolution of metazoan α-carbonic anhydrases and their roles in calcium carbonate biomineralization
2014
The carbonic anhydrase (CA; EC 4.2.1.1) superfamily is a class of ubiquitous metallo-enzymes that catalyse the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide. The ?-CA family, present in all metazoan clades, is a key enzyme involved in a wide range of physiological functions including pH regulation, respiration, photosynthesis, and biocalcification. This paper reviews the evolution of the ?-CA family, with an emphasis on metazoan ?-CA members involved in biocalcification. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a complex evolutionary history of ?-CAs, and suggest ?-CA was independently co-opted into a variety of skeleton forming roles (e.g. as a provider of HCO3? ions, a structural protein, a nucleation activ…
Specific expression of a TRIM-containing factor in ectoderm cells affects the skeletal morphogenetic program of the sea urchin embryo
2011
In the indirect developing sea urchin embryo, the primary mesenchyme cells (PMCs) acquire most of the positional and temporal information from the overlying ectoderm for skeletal initiation and growth. In this study, we characterize the function of the novel gene strim1, which encodes a tripartite motif-containing (TRIM) protein, that adds to the list of genes constituting the epithelial-mesenchymal signaling network. We report that strim1 is expressed in ectoderm regions adjacent to the bilateral clusters of PMCs and that its misexpression leads to severe skeletal abnormalities. Reciprocally, knock down of strim1 function abrogates PMC positioning and blocks skeletogenesis. Blastomere tran…
Silica as a morphogenetically active inorganic polymer.
2013
At present the scaffolds used for bioprinting of cells do not elicit morphogenetic responses in the cells. In the present study we approached a solution by studying the effect of an inorganic silica supplement added to an Na-alginate matrix. Bone- and osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells were embedded into this organic polymeric matrix which was additionally enriched with 400 μM prehydrolyzed TEOS [tetra-ethoxy-silane], a source of ortho-silicate. In this silica-based matrix the cells synthesized hydroxyapatite crystallites after exposure to a mineralization activation cocktail composed of β-glycerophosphate, ascorbic acid and dexamethasone. The degree of hydroxyapatite synthesis, determined by sta…
Long-term Additions of Organic Amendments in a Loire Valley Vineyard. I. Effects on Properties of a Calcareous Sandy Soil
2008
International audience; A long-term experiment (28 years) was conducted to Study the effects of various organic amendments oil physical, chemical, and biological properties of a sandy vineyard soil. Annual applications of either crushed pruned vine-wood (2 t/ha fresh wt), cattle manure (10 and 20 t/ha fresh wt.), or spent mushroom compost (8 and 16 t/ha fresh wt) were compared to all unamended treatment, In plots unamended for 28 years, total organic C (TOC) showed a slow and limited decrease (19%). For the highest rates of exogenous organic amendments, the increase in TOC reached a saturation Value after 20 years and carbon (C) sequestered after 28 years reached 30 Mg/ha. Final predicted T…
In situ polymerization of soil organic matter by oxidative biomimetic catalysis
2017
Abstract Background Agricultural practices that enhance organic matter content in soil can play a central role in sequestering soil organic carbon (SOC) and reducing greenhouse gases emissions. Methods We used a water-soluble iron-porphyrin to catalyze directly in situ oxidative polymerization of soil organic matter in the presence of H2O2 oxidant, with the aim to enhance OC stabilization, and, consequently, reduce CO2 emissions from soil. The occurred SOC stabilization was assessed by monitoring soil aggregate stability, OC distribution in water-soluble aggregates, soil respiration, and extraction yields of humic and fulvic acids. Results Soil treatment with H2O2 and iron-porphyrin increas…
Molluscan Shell Proteins: Primary Structure, Origin, and Evolution
2007
In the last few years, the field of molluscan biomineralization has known a tremendous mutation, regarding fundamental concepts on biomineralization regulation as well as regarding the methods of investigation. The most recent advances deal more particularly with the structure of shell biominerals at nanoscale and the identification of an increasing number of shell matrix protein components. Although the matrix is quantitatively a minor constituent in the shell of mollusks (less than 5% w/w), it is, however, the major component that controls different aspects of the shell formation processes: synthesis of transient amorphous minerals and evolution to crystalline phases, choice of the calciu…
Spherulites in Calcrete Laminar Crusts: Biogenic CACO3 Precipitation as a Major Contributor to Crust Formation
1995
ABSTRACT Spherulites (calcitic fibro-radial spherulitic polycrystals) are a major component of calcite layers in Quaternary calcrete laminar crusts. To explain the formation of spherulites, petrographic and chemical studies were performed on Pleistocene calcrete laminar crusts, Holocene biological crusts, and laboratory (in vitro) cultures of cyanobacterial strains. Spherulites were found to be formed of acicular and radiating crystals, either smooth and regular-edged, or twisted and irregular-edged. Spherulites were composed of low-Mg calcite, the concentration of Mg in the spherulites increasing from nucleus to periphery. The shape and chemistry of the in vitro spherulites and laminar cru…
Molluscan shell proteins
2004
Abstract The shell secreted by molluscs is one of the most remarkable examples of a matrix-mediated mineralisation performed outside living tissues. The calcifying matrix is a mixture of proteins, glycoproteins, and polysaccharides that precisely self-assemble and control the CaCO 3 polymorph (calcite, aragonite), the size, the shapes of the crystallites, and finally, the texture of the shell. In spite of several biochemical studies, the molecular aspects of the shell building are far from being understood. The present article makes an overview of the most recent molecular data on the proteinaceous components of the shell matrix. These data put into question the classical models of mollusca…
A biogeochemical model for chalk alteration by fungi in semiarid environments
1996
Fungal filaments are the most abundant organic features in weathered profiles developed on chalky limestone ("platy calcrete"). Their activity affects the mineral dynamics of the pore/carbonate microsystem. A theoretical biogeochemical model is proposed to describe the Ca-oxalate-carbonate cycle related to fungal activity in dry environments.
Mechanochemical Access to Defect-Stabilized Amorphous Calcium Carbonate
2018
Amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) is an important precursor in the biomineralization of crystalline CaCO3. The lifetime of transient ACC in nature is regulated by an organic matrix, to use it as an intermediate storage buffer or as a permanent structural element. The relevance of ACC in material science is related to our understanding of CaCO3 crystallization pathways. ACC can be obtained by liquid–liquid phase separation, and it is typically stabilized with the help of macromolecules. We have prepared ACC by milling calcite in a planetary ball mill. The ball-milled amorphous calcium carbonate (BM-ACC) was stabilized with small amounts of Na2CO3. The addition of foreign ions in form of Na2C…