Amazing stuff! Unfortunately, these teeth are black colored.
When will humans finally get hardened teeth! No more cavities!
"... the teeth of chitons, marine mollusks that feed by scraping algae and other organisms off rocks. Scientists wanted to determine what makes their teeth nearly indestructible.
Researchers extracted proteins from the mineralized teeth of three chiton species and compared them with proteins from a giant chiton they’d previously studied. They identified a total of 22 proteins from the animals that were important for forming hard iron oxide on teeth, but narrowed in on one called radular teeth matrix protein 1 (RTMP1). The protein appears to be unique to chitons, leading the team to think it might be the secret to their tough chompers.
In ex vivo experiments with chiton teeth and engineered yeast, RTMP1 indeed promoted the formation of ferrihydrite, which can transform into a kind of iron oxide called magnetite that turns the animals’ teeth black and gives them their super strength. Meanwhile, in in vivo experiments to silence the RNA that codes for RTMP1, the animals’ teeth didn’t mineralize properly.
RTMP1 is the first known example of an animal protein that helps iron oxide form. Teasing out exactly how it does so might help in the design of new, hardened materials ... That might include “new designs of abrasion-resistant and self-sharpening materials,” ..."
From the abstract of the perspective:
"Animals from diverse evolutionary lineages possess body parts composed of mineralized structures such as teeth, bones, and shells. Their hardening, referred to as biomineralization, relies on precisely orchestrated macromolecular machineries that control the type, spatial placement, nucleation, and growth of inorganic crystalline phases in an organic matrix.
Identifying specific macromolecules involved in these processes helps to illuminate how nature’s complex inorganic structures are formed. In particular, chitons—a class of marine mollusks ... —have exceptionally hard and abrasion-resistant teeth made of iron-based minerals.
However, the underlying mechanism that governs the mineralization of iron phases in chiton teeth has been puzzling. ... that radular teeth matrix protein 1 (RTMP1) plays a central role in incorporating iron oxide mineral magnetite into chiton teeth. This points to molecular strategies that may be shared among magnetite-forming organisms that might be used in biomimetic materials chemistry."
From the editor's summary and abstract:
"Editor’s summary
The major lateral radula teeth of chitons are formed from magnetite and other biominerals in a way that makes them very hard and wear resistant. As the cusps wear out, they are replaced by newly formed teeth from behind. Nemoto et al. expanded on prior studies of these organisms by exploring the molecular mechanism of magnetite biomineralization ... The authors demonstrate that one protein, which they call radular teeth matrix protein 1 (RTMP1), controls iron oxide deposition and differs from other magnetite-precipitating proteins found in magnetotactic bacteria. ...
Abstract
Nature builds multiscale mineral structures with impressive mechanical properties through spatially and temporally orchestrated organic-mineral assembly. One example of regulated mineralization is found in hypermineralized and ultrahard magnetic teeth of chiton, which grind on rock to feed on algae. At early stages of tooth formation, iron oxide deposition is controlled using a chiton-specific radular teeth matrix protein 1 (RTMP1), which is transported into teeth through microvilli. RTMP1 spatially and temporally guides and enhances mineralization on chitinous fibers within the tooth, providing a hard, tough, and strong architecture that enables the organism to perform repetitive abrasive events to survive."
Hardening nature’s toughest teeth (no public access) "A protein that underlies the mineralization of chiton teeth is revealed"
Radular teeth matrix protein 1 directs iron oxide deposition in chiton teeth (no public access)
Radular teeth matrix protein 1 directs iron oxide deposition in chiton teeth (preprint, open access)
Fig. 1 A transcriptomic comparison of radular tissues revealed that RTMP1 and its homologs are chiton-specific proteins.
Fig. 4 The recombinant RTMP1 exhibited iron ion binding and iron oxide precipitation activity.
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