Fast mineralization of densely packed hydroxyapatite layers in the presence of overexpressed recombinant amelogenin

Abstract

Learning from the process of biominerals formation provides tremendous ideas for developing advanced synthesis techniques. According to the structure formation of tooth enamel, a recombinant amelogenin his-AmelX was designed and constructed. The protein was over-expressed and could be conveniently purified in one-step heat treatment. The mineralization process of hydroxyapatite was initiated by enzyme AP and regulated by the recombinant amelogenin. Effects of solution pH value and mineralization duration were studied. It was demonstrated that his-AmelX could induce the nucleation of apatite and quicken the growth rate at pH 7.0-7.4, while impeded hydroxyapatite growth at pH 6.8. Moreover, a much denser layer of hydroxyapatite was achieved with the addition of his-AmelX. The present study may not only provide insight into the formation of natural biomaterials but also open a new path to prepare materials under environmentally benign conditions.