Logistics of Bone Mineralization in the Chick Embryo Studied by 3D Cryo FIB-SEM Imaging. 2023

Emeline Raguin, and Richard Weinkamer, and Clemens Schmitt, and Luca Curcuraci, and Peter Fratzl
Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam, Germany.

During skeletal development, bone growth and mineralization require transport of substantial amounts of calcium, while maintaining very low concentration. How an organism overcomes this major logistical challenge remains mostly unexplained. To shed some light on the dynamics of this process, cryogenic focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FIB/SEM) is used to image forming bone tissue at day 13 of a chick embryo femur. Both cells and matrix in 3D are visualized and observed as calcium-rich intracellular vesicular structures. Counting the number of these vesicles per unit volume and measuring their calcium content based on the electron back-scattering signal, the intracellular velocity at which these vesicles need to travel to transport all the calcium required for the mineral deposited in one day within the collagenous tissue can be estimated. This velocity at 0.27 µm s-1 is estimated, which is too large for a diffusion process and rather suggests active transport through the cellular network. It is concluded that calcium logistics is hierarchical and based on several transport mechanisms: first through the vasculature using calcium-binding proteins and the blood flow, then active transport over tens of micrometers through the network of osteoblasts and osteocytes, and finally diffusive transport over the last one or two microns.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008855 Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Microscopy in which the object is examined directly by an electron beam scanning the specimen point-by-point. The image is constructed by detecting the products of specimen interactions that are projected above the plane of the sample, such as backscattered electrons. Although SCANNING TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY also scans the specimen point by point with the electron beam, the image is constructed by detecting the electrons, or their interaction products that are transmitted through the sample plane, so that is a form of TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY. Scanning Electron Microscopy,Electron Scanning Microscopy,Electron Microscopies, Scanning,Electron Microscopy, Scanning,Electron Scanning Microscopies,Microscopies, Electron Scanning,Microscopies, Scanning Electron,Microscopy, Electron Scanning,Microscopy, Scanning Electron,Scanning Electron Microscopies,Scanning Microscopies, Electron,Scanning Microscopy, Electron
D001842 Bone and Bones A specialized CONNECTIVE TISSUE that is the main constituent of the SKELETON. The principal cellular component of bone is comprised of OSTEOBLASTS; OSTEOCYTES; and OSTEOCLASTS, while FIBRILLAR COLLAGENS and hydroxyapatite crystals form the BONE MATRIX. Bone Tissue,Bone and Bone,Bone,Bones,Bones and Bone,Bones and Bone Tissue,Bony Apophyses,Bony Apophysis,Condyle,Apophyses, Bony,Apophysis, Bony,Bone Tissues,Condyles,Tissue, Bone,Tissues, Bone
D002113 Calcification, Physiologic Process by which organic tissue becomes hardened by the physiologic deposit of calcium salts. Bone Mineralization,Calcification, Physiological,Physiologic Calcification,Mineralization, Bone,Physiological Calcification
D002118 Calcium A basic element found in nearly all tissues. It is a member of the alkaline earth family of metals with the atomic symbol Ca, atomic number 20, and atomic weight 40. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and combines with phosphorus to form calcium phosphate in the bones and teeth. It is essential for the normal functioning of nerves and muscles and plays a role in blood coagulation (as factor IV) and in many enzymatic processes. Coagulation Factor IV,Factor IV,Blood Coagulation Factor IV,Calcium-40,Calcium 40,Factor IV, Coagulation
D002642 Chick Embryo The developmental entity of a fertilized chicken egg (ZYGOTE). The developmental process begins about 24 h before the egg is laid at the BLASTODISC, a small whitish spot on the surface of the EGG YOLK. After 21 days of incubation, the embryo is fully developed before hatching. Embryo, Chick,Chick Embryos,Embryos, Chick
D000094443 Volume Electron Microscopy Electron microscopy techniques designed to reconstruct 3-D images at micrometer volume scales at nanometer (nm) level resolutions. Volume electron microscopy uses various techniques to render, segment and reconstruct 3-D images from stacked sequential 2-D images of incremental z-planes. FIB-SEM,Focused Ion Beam SEM,Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy,SBF-SEM,Serial Block-Face SEM,Serial Block-Face Scanning Electron Microscopy,Serial Sectioning TEM,Serial Sectioning Transmission Electron Microscopy,Volume EM,ssTEM,vEM Volume Electron Microscopy,EM, Volume,Electron Microscopy, Volume,SEM, Serial Block-Face,Serial Block Face SEM,Serial Block Face Scanning Electron Microscopy,Serial Block-Face SEMs,Serial Sectioning TEMs,TEM, Serial Sectioning,TEMs, Serial Sectioning,Volume Electron Microscopies
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia

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