A Review of the Aggregation Properties of a Recombinant Amelogenin

The present paper reviews some recent data on the aggregation properties of a recombinant amelogenin using dynamic-light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and size exclusion chromatography. It was found that the recombinant amelogenin M179 molecules in solution form spherical monodisperse aggregates (15-20 nm) which are predominantly stabilized by intermolecular hydrophobic interactions while their surfaces are charged, carrying the hydrophilic carboxy-terminal sequence. We concluded that the spherical aggregates represent the “stippled materials” secreted by the ameloblasts at the mineralization front. We further speculate that the self-assembly process in the formation of amelogenin aggregates may play a primary role in the structural organization of mineralizing enamel.