Mineralization of collagen fibrils is a regular combination process of organic and mineral components mainly involving calcium, phosphate and collagen. We report the influence of calcium to the self-assembly of collagen by changing the concentration of calcium ion in the process of mineralization. Low concentration of calcium results in the well collagen self-assembly while poor mineral crystallization. Relatively, high concentration of calcium can hinder collagen self-assembly, whereas it is benefited to mineral crystallization. We also reveal that collagen self-assembly happens in advance of the formation of better mineral crystals. These results interpret the mechanism of collagen mineralization further.
Keywords: Calcium; Collagen; Mineralization; Self-assembly.
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