The role of Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans in the conversion of calcium phosphate from amorphous to crystalline state

PLoS One. 2014 Feb 26;9(2):e89480. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089480. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Two previously unknown modes of biomineralization observed in the presence of Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans are presented. Following the addition of NaHCO3 and the formation of an amorphous calcium phosphate precipitate in a DSMZ medium inoculated with C. hydrogenoformans, two distinct crystalline solids were recovered after 15 and 30 days of incubation. The first of these solids occurred as micrometric clusters of blocky, angular crystals, which were associated with bacterial biofilm. The second solid occurred as 30-50 nm nanorods that were found scattered among the organic products of bacterial lysis. The biphasic mixture of solids was clearly dominated by the first phase. The X-ray diffractometry (XRD) peaks and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectrum of this biphasic material consistently showed features characteristic of Mg-whitlockite. No organic content or protein could be identified by dissolving the solids. In both cases, the mode of biomineralization appears to be biologically induced rather than biologically controlled. Since Mg is known to be a strong inhibitor of the nucleation and growth of CaP, C. hydrogenoformans may act by providing sites that chelate Mg or form complexes with it, thus decreasing its activity as nucleation and crystal growth inhibitor. The synthesis of whitlockite and nano-HAP-like material by C. hydrogenoformans demonstrates the versatility of this organism also known for its ability to perform the water-gas shift reaction, and may have applications in bacterially mediated synthesis of CaP materials, as an environmentally friendly alternative process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Calcium Phosphates / chemistry
  • Calcium Phosphates / metabolism*
  • Crystallization
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
  • Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
  • Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
  • Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
  • Thermoanaerobacter / metabolism*

Substances

  • Calcium Phosphates
  • calcium phosphate

Grants and funding

One of the authors (M.H.) was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (grant 185778-2009). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.