Volume 159, 2012

Merging models of biomineralisation with concepts of nonclassical crystallisation: is a liquid amorphous precursor involved in the formation of the prismatic layer of the Mediterranean Fan Mussel Pinna nobilis?

Abstract

The calcitic prisms of Pinna nobilis (Pinnidae, Linnaeus 1758) are shown to be perfect examples of a mesocrystalline material. Based on their ultrastructure and on the occurrence of an amorphous transient precursor during the early stages of prism formation, we provide evidence for the pathway of mesocrystallisation proposed by Seto et al. (2012), which proceeds not by self-organized oriented attachment of crystalline nano-bricks but by aggregation of initially amorphous nanogranules which later transform by epitaxial nucleation to a three-dimensional array of well aligned nanocrystals. We further fathom the role of a liquid amorphous calcium carbonate in biomineralisation processes and provide strong evidence for the occurrence of PILP-like intermediates during prism formation. We develop a new scenario of prism formation based on the presented findings presented findings and discuss the implications of a speculative liquid amorphous calcium carbonate (LACC) intermediate in vivo.

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 Mar 2012
Accepted
24 Apr 2012
First published
09 Aug 2012

Faraday Discuss., 2012,159, 433-448

Merging models of biomineralisation with concepts of nonclassical crystallisation: is a liquid amorphous precursor involved in the formation of the prismatic layer of the Mediterranean Fan Mussel Pinna nobilis?

S. E. Wolf, I. Lieberwirth, F. Natalio, J. Bardeau, N. Delorme, F. Emmerling, R. Barrea, M. Kappl and F. Marin, Faraday Discuss., 2012, 159, 433 DOI: 10.1039/C2FD20045G

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