Tenascin C (TNC) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein involved in osteogenesis and bone mineralization. In a previous study, we identified TNC protein located in the matrix vesicles (MVs) of osteoblasts. MVs are determinant in the mineralization formation. Therefore, we hypothesize whether TNC can modulate osteoblast mineralization via MVs. In this study, we demonstrated that the expression ...

Decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM) is sensitive to vegetation and climate change. Here, we investigated the influence of changes in forest types on the mineralization of soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and their temperature sensitivity (Q10) and coupling relationships by using a laboratory soil incubation experiments. We sampled soils from four forest types, namely, a primary Quercus ...

Bone is the most common site of metastasis for breast cancer, however the reasons for this remain unclear. We hypothesise that under certain conditions mammary cells possess osteomimetic capabilities that may allow them to adapt to, and flourish within, the bone microenvironment. Mammary cells are known to calcify within breast tissue and we have recently reported a novel in vitro model of mamm...

The extent of solubility enhancement by biosurfactant was examined at various pHs prior to the biodegradation experiments. The molar solubilization ratio (MSR) was calculated from the batch solubilization experiments and the highest MSR was detected at pH 5. The effect of the biosurfactant, rhamnolipids, on the phenanthrene mineralization in soil-water system was investigated. The strain 3Y was...

The aim of the present work was to characterize the odontoblastic proliferation, differentiation, and matrix mineralization in culture of the recently established M2H4 rat cell line. Proliferation was assessed by cell counts, differentiation by RT-PCR analysis, and mineralization by alizarin red staining, atomic absorption spectrometry, and FTIR microspectroscopy. The results showed that M2H4 c...

As a first step toward the design and fabrication of biomimetic bonelike composite materials, we have developed a template-driven nucleation and mineral growth process for the high-affinity integration of hydroxyapatite with a poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (pHEMA) hydrogel scaffold. A mineralization technique was developed that exposes carboxylate groups on the surface of cross-linked pHEMA...

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), a heritable ectopic mineralization disorder, is caused by mutations in the ABCC6 gene. Null mice (Abcc6(-/-) ) recapitulate the genetic, histopathologic and ultrastructural features of PXE, and they demonstrate early and progressive mineralization of vibrissae dermal sheath, which serves as a biomarker of the overall mineralization process. Recently, as part of a...

Bone quality is an important determinant of osteoporosis, and proper osteoblast differentiation plays an important role in the control and maintenance of bone quality. We investigated the impact of activin signaling on human osteoblast differentiation, extracellular matrix formation, and mineralization. Activins belong to the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily and activin A treatment s...

Fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF2) inhibits osteoblast mineralization, but the mechanism by which it does so is not fully understood. Matrix vesicles (MVs) play an essential role in the initiation of mineralization, so the current study examined the effect of FGF2 on the functioning of MVs to investigate this mechanism. This study found that FGF2 significantly inhibited differentiation and miner...

Aboveground herbivores have strong effects on grassland nitrogen (N) cycling. They can accelerate or slow down soil net N mineralization depending on ecosystem productivity and grazing intensity. Yet, most studies only consider either ungulates or invertebrate herbivores, but not the combined effect of several functionally different vertebrate and invertebrate herbivore species or guilds. We as...