Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2012, 13(3), 3949-3958; doi:10.3390/ijms13033949
Article

Cooperative Modulation of Mineral Growth by Prismatic-Associated Asprich Sequences and Mg(II)

Il Won Kim 1,* email, Sebastiano Collino 2 email and John Spencer Evans 2 email
1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Soongsil University, Seoul 156-743, South Korea 2 Laboratory for Chemical Physics, New York University, New York, NY 10010, USA
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 14 February 2012; in revised form: 3 March 2012 / Accepted: 19 March 2012 / Published: 22 March 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Materials in Skeletal Engineering)
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Abstract: Cooperative effects of magnesium ions and acidic polypeptides originating from a family of proteins known as Asprich (mollusk Atrina rigida) were studied. In our previous studies, these two acidic polypeptides were found to be effective in controlling the morphology of the calcium carbonate mineral, the main inorganic constituent of prismatic layer of the mollusk shell. Since these Asprich sequences are believed to contain a putative magnesium binding domain, the morphology-controlling effects were further investigated with the addition of magnesium ions. The mineral morphology was dramatically changed by the combined influence of each polypeptides and the magnesium ions, substantiating the recognized importance of magnesium in the formation of calcium carbonate-based biominerals.
Keywords: biomineralization; mollusk; calcium carbonate; polypeptide; magnesium

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MDPI and ACS Style

Kim, I.W.; Collino, S.; Evans, J.S. Cooperative Modulation of Mineral Growth by Prismatic-Associated Asprich Sequences and Mg(II). Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2012, 13, 3949-3958.

AMA Style

Kim IW, Collino S, Evans JS. Cooperative Modulation of Mineral Growth by Prismatic-Associated Asprich Sequences and Mg(II). International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2012; 13(3):3949-3958.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kim, Il Won; Collino, Sebastiano; Evans, John Spencer. 2012. "Cooperative Modulation of Mineral Growth by Prismatic-Associated Asprich Sequences and Mg(II)." Int. J. Mol. Sci. 13, no. 3: 3949-3958.

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