查看文章

Amelotin (AMTN) protein exerts a direct role on enamel biomineralization likely due to its binding affinity with calcium phosphates (Ca-Ps). However, the kinetics and molecular mechanisms of the AMTN–Ca-P interaction remain largely unknown. Here we used in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) to directly image the surface growth of brushite (dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, DCPD, CaHPO₄·2H₂O) in the presence of recombinant human AMTN. Measured step movement velocities of the DCPD (010) face show that AMTN protein promotes crystal face growth only within a limited concentration range, whereas inhibition occurs outside of this range. A peptide derived from a highly conserved and potentially phosphorylated motif (SSEEL) within the AMTN protein inhibits crystal growth similar to that of the AMTN protein at low concentration. By the use of single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS), we directly measure …