Protein disorder-order interplay to guide the growth of hierarchical mineralized structures

Nat Commun. 2018 Jun 1;9(1):2145. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04319-0.

Abstract

A major goal in materials science is to develop bioinspired functional materials based on the precise control of molecular building blocks across length scales. Here we report a protein-mediated mineralization process that takes advantage of disorder-order interplay using elastin-like recombinamers to program organic-inorganic interactions into hierarchically ordered mineralized structures. The materials comprise elongated apatite nanocrystals that are aligned and organized into microscopic prisms, which grow together into spherulite-like structures hundreds of micrometers in diameter that come together to fill macroscopic areas. The structures can be grown over large uneven surfaces and native tissues as acid-resistant membranes or coatings with tuneable hierarchy, stiffness, and hardness. Our study represents a potential strategy for complex materials design that may open opportunities for hard tissue repair and provide insights into the role of molecular disorder in human physiology and pathology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Calcification, Physiologic*
  • Dental Enamel / chemistry
  • Dentin / chemistry
  • Dentin / metabolism*
  • Dentin / ultrastructure
  • Elastin / chemistry
  • Elastin / metabolism*
  • Elastin / ultrastructure
  • Humans
  • Hydroxyapatites / chemistry
  • Hydroxyapatites / metabolism
  • Intrinsically Disordered Proteins / chemistry
  • Intrinsically Disordered Proteins / metabolism*
  • Microscopy, Atomic Force
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Minerals / chemistry
  • Minerals / metabolism*
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • X-Ray Diffraction

Substances

  • Hydroxyapatites
  • Intrinsically Disordered Proteins
  • Minerals
  • Elastin