HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (11) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chen, H. Articles by Clarkson, B.H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chen, H. Articles by Clarkson, B.H.

Interaction of Dendrimers (Artificial Proteins) with Biological Hydroxyapatite Crystals

¹ University of Michigan School of Dentistry, 1011 N. University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1078;
² University of Michigan Department of Chemistry;
³ University of Michigan Department of Physics;
⁴ University of Michigan, Internal Medicine; and
⁵ Center for Biologic Nanotechnology;

*corresponding author, bricla{at}umich.edu

This investigation sets out to mimic protein-crystal interaction during biomineralization with the use of artificial proteins (dendrimers). It is hypothesized that these interactions depend on the surface charge of hydroxyapatite crystals. This was investigated with the use of dendrimers with capped surfaces of different charges to probe the surface. We used AFM images of crystal-bound dendrimers to determine the distribution of the surface charge, and its magnitude was correlated to the binding capacity of the dendrimers to the surface. The binding capacity of the dendrimers in ascending order at pH 7.4 was: acetamide-capped, -NHC(O)CH3, neutral charge; carboxylic-acid-capped, -COOH, negative charge; and amine-capped, -NH2, positive charge. AFM images of the crystals showed dendrimers spaced equally along the crystal. The results suggest that the crystal surface has alternating bands of positive and negative charge or a differential charge array, i.e., alternating bands of either more or less positive or negative charge.

KEY WORDS: dendrimers • interaction • hydroxyapatite • crystals