STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY OF THE ENAMEL PROTEINS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 我们研究活动的主要目标是促进对牙釉质形成的基本分子机制的了解。我们推测，这样的理解将导致未来仿生策略的发展，以创造釉质类矿物材料。重点研究了两个方面：1.牙釉质细胞外基质成分的结构和功能。2)成釉蛋白-20(成釉蛋白)和KLK-4的功能和作用机制。我们的目标是：(项目1)在分子水平上确定定义蛋白质在溶液中自组装的相互作用的性质和纳米球基质结构，在分子水平上定义体外形成的基于釉原蛋白的基质的超微结构，表征在没有和存在非釉原蛋白的情况下合成釉原蛋白凝胶基质中磷灰石和八钙磷酸钙晶体的生长、形态和取向。研究釉原蛋白和非釉原蛋白对溶液中磷灰石和八钙晶体生长形态的影响。(项目2)：研究重组基质金属蛋白酶-20和KLK-4对重组釉质蛋白的作用。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. The major goal of our research activities is to advance understanding of the fundamental molecular mechanisms involved in the formation of dental enamel. We postulate that such understanding will lead to the future development of biomimetic strategies for the creation of enamel-like mineral materials. We focus on two areas: 1. The structure and function of enamel extracellular matrix components. 2) The function and mechanism of action of enamel proteinases MMP-20 (enamelysin) and KLK-4. Our goals are: ( project #1) to identify the nature of the interactions which define protein self-assembly in solution and the nanosphere matrix architecture, at the molecular level, to define at the molecular level the ultrastructural architecture of amelogenin-based matrices formed in vitro, to characterize apatite and octacalcium phosphate crystal growth, morphology and orientation within synthetic amelogenin gel matrices in the absence and presence of the non-amelogenins. To characterize the effects of amelogenin and non-amelogenins on apatite and octacalcium crystal growth morphology in solution. (project # 2) : To investigate the action of recombinant MMP-20 and KLK-4 on recombinant enamel proteins amelogenin.