@misc{10481/94329,
year = {2024},
month = {8},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/94329},
abstract = {Despite the biological relevance and the unique mechanical properties of bone tissue, the pathway leading to the
formation of the main mineral component – specifically, the mechanism responsible for the formation of
extremely thin apatite nanoplatelets – remains unclear. In this work, the presence and evolution of an elusive
octacalcium phosphate/apatite (OCP/Ap) heterostructure is identified through the combination of small- and
wide-angle X-ray total scattering experiments. These experiments were performed in situ during collagen
mineralization, and the structure, morphology, and epitaxy of these nanocrystalline composites are described
using atomistic models. By applying the Debye Scattering Equation to our high-quality synchrotron X-ray scattering
datasets, a quantitative estimate of the size and shape of the nanoplates, as well as their temporal evolution,
is achieved. The transformation of this transient heterostructure is revealed through confocal Raman
microscopy to occur within the intrafibrillar spaces of the collagen fibers. As mineralization progresses, these
spaces gradually cluster, resulting in a ca. 60 % increase in the lateral density of the purely organic molecular
bundles. In contrast, in dry collagen, the mineralization process induces a (marginal) decrease in bundles density.
Despite their apparent opposite, we present an explanation that reconciles both effects.},
organization = {Project
BioBone (Andalucía Talent Hub program, co-funded by the Spanish
Junta de Andalucía and EU-FP7 within the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions)},
publisher = {Elsevier},
keywords = {Collagen mineralization},
keywords = {Bone},
keywords = {Epitaxy},
title = {Transient OCP-apatite epitaxy controls bone mineralization. An X-ray total scattering study},
doi = {10.1016/j.trac.2024.117904},
author = {Bertolotti, Federica and Skov Pedersen, Jan and Van Driessche, Alexander Edgard Suzanne and Masciocchi, Norberto and Guagliardi, Antonietta and Delgado López, José Manuel},
}