REGULATION OF COLLAGEN MINERALIZATION IN THE TOOTH

描述（改编自研究者摘要）： 本研究旨在了解空间调控机制， 和胶原矿化的时间方面。 在上一次赠款期间 阶段，胶原蛋白化学状态的部分表征 交联和胶原纤维的三维结构， 与矿化的关系。 这些发现导致 假设，在基于胶原的矿化组织中， 矿物薄片的堆积在空间上受到 I型非三螺旋结构域（端肽）的构型 胶原分子 此外，一组蛋白聚糖（其中许多是 胶原蛋白相关的蛋白聚糖）已经被鉴定， 几乎只在矿化前被免疫定位 基质，例如近牙周膜细胞、前牙骨质和前牙本质。 这些 蛋白聚糖可能通过其 与胶原纤维结合。 通过使用牙齿（不 改造）作为主要模型，在此提出的具体问题 应用是：氨基和氨基的化学状态是什么？ 在矿化前、矿化中的羧基末端非三重螺旋结构域 和非（从不）矿化胶原蛋白？ 这些化学状态是如何变化的 与矿化？ 的结构特点是什么 蛋白聚糖及其与胶原纤维的空间关系 前牙本质和前牙骨质 它们在成矿基质中是如何变化的 （牙本质和牙骨质）？ 为了解决这些问题，生物化学， 物理，免疫化学和免疫组织化学技术将是 就业。 从这些研究中获得的信息将提供洞察力 胶原矿化的调节机制。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from investigator's Abstract): The long term goal of this investigation is to understand the mechanisms regulating the spatial and temporal aspects of collagen mineralization. During the last grant period, partial characterization of the chemical states of collagen cross-linking and the three dimensional structure of the collagen fibrils in relation to mineralization were accomplished. These findings have led to the hypothesis that, in collagen-based mineralized tissues, the orientation and stacking of mineral platelets are spatially regulated by the configuration of the nontriple helical domains (telopeptides) of the type I collagen molecules. In addition, a group of proteoglycans (many of them are collagen-associated proteoglycans) in the tooth have been identified and were found to be immunolocalized almost exclusively in the premineralizing matrices such as near pericementocytes, precementum and predentin. These proteoglycans may be inhibiting premature mineralization through their association with collagen fibrils. By using the tooth (which does not remodel) as the major model, the specific questions asked in this application are: What are the chemical states of the amino- and carboxyl-terminal nontriple helical domains in premineralizing, mineralizing and non (never)-mineralizing collagens? How do these chemical states change with mineralization? What are the structural characteristics of the proteoglycans and their spatial relationship to collagen fibrils in predentin and precementum? and how do they change in mineralizing matrix (dentin and cementum)? In order to address these questions, biochemical, physical, immunochemical and immunohistochemical techniques will be employed. The information obtained from these studies will provide insight into the regulatory mechanisms of collagen mineralization.