Abstract
AbstractThe organic matrix from sea urchin tests was extracted using 2% acetic acid. This material contained 81–85% protein, 14–19% carbohydrate, and < 1% phosphate. The whole matrix was separated into aqueous soluble and insoluble fractions to determine their individual characteristics and functional activities. Electrophoresis of the soluble matrix (SM) resulted in a single band of approximately 170kD. The SM was capable of inhibiting in vitro CaCO3 precipitation (at nanomolar concentrations) in solutions supersaturated with Ca2+ and CO32‐. It was also capable of inhibiting CaCO3 spicule formation in sea urchin larvae at 10 μg SM per ml of larvae as measured by 14C incorporation. The insoluble matrix (IM) fraction had a higher protein content than the SM component and a lower PO4 content.That the SM from urchin tests is capable of inhibiting both in vitro crystallization and organismal calcification lends credence to its probable role as a mineralization regulator. What role it plays in vivo can only be surmised at this point, and whether or not this role is the same when it acts in conjunction with other components of matrix is unknown.
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