Publication details

Authors: Sfeir, C.; Fang, P. A.; Jayaraman, T.; Raman, A.; Xiaoyuan, Z.; Beniash, E. 
Title: Synthesis of bone-like nanocomposites using multiphosphorylated peptides 
Type: Journal Article 
Publisher: Acta Biomater 
Year: 2014 
Volume: 10 
Issue: 
Start Page: 2241 
End Page: 2249 
DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2014.01.007 
WEB-link: http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1742706114000129/1-s2.0-S1742706114000129-main.pdf?_tid=2967bbe8-f3d2-11e4-9801-00000aacb362&acdnat=1430904649_6065807ba0ab8ade87cee975a7c0f88f 
Abstract: There is a great need for novel materials for mineralized tissue repair and regeneration. Two examples of such tissue, bone and dentin, are highly organized hierarchical nanocomposites in which mineral and organic phases interface at the molecular level. In contrast, current graft materials are either ceramic powders or physical blends of mineral and organic phases with mechanical properties far inferior to those of their target tissues. The objective of this study was to synthesize composite nanofibrils with highly integrated organic/inorganic phases inspired by the mineralized collagen fibrils of bone and dentin. Utilizing our understanding of bone and dentin biomineralization, we have first designed bioinspired peptides containing 3 Ser-Ser-Asp repeat motifs based on the highly phosphorylated protein, dentin phosphophoryn (DPP), found in dentin and alveolar bone. We demonstrate that up to 80% of serines in the peptide can be phosphorylated by casein kinases. We further tested the ability of these peptides to induce biomimetic calcium phosphate mineralization of collagen fibrils. Our mineralization studies have revealed that in the presence of these phosphorylated peptides, mineralized collagen fibrils structurally similar to the mineralized collagen fibrils of bone and dentin were formed. Our results demonstrate that using phosphorylated DPP-inspired peptides, we can successfully synthesize biomimetic composite nanofibrils with integrated organic and inorganic phases. These results provide the first step in the development of biomimetic nanostructured materials for mineralized tissue repair and regeneration using phosphopeptides. 
Keywords: Adenosine Triphosphate/metabolism, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Bone and Bones/ metabolism, Calcification, Physiologic, Casein Kinases/metabolism, Electrons, Fibrillar Collagens/metabolism, Kinetics, Mass Spectrometry, Molecular Sequence Data, Nanocomposites/ chemistry, Peptides/chemical synthesis/chemistry/ metabolism, Phosphorylation, Rats, Tomography