植物体内草酸钙的生物矿化

草酸钙晶体在特化的植物晶异细胞内的形成是一种基本的、重要的生理代谢过程.不同植物草酸钙晶体在形态/结构上存在多样性和种间专一性,它们具有特定的尺寸和形貌,并且成核后晶体的生长和特化细胞的发育间存在显著的协同作用,这表明草酸钙的生物合成不是一种简单的化学结晶过程,而是受遗传和生物大分子的精确调控.被塑造的矿化相在特定的膜包覆空间内经历了各自不同的生物化学途径,最终形成热力学稳定相.草酸钙晶体赋予植物许多不同的功能,主要包括对高容量钙的调节和植物自我保护作用,从而间接地反映出植物在不同生境中进化的印迹.本文介绍了草酸钙晶体在植物体内合成的草酸代谢途径、钙的吸收和累积,主要讨论晶体生长过程的植物调节机制以及体外模拟生物分子对草酸钙结晶动力学过程的调控等,以期揭示植物体内草酸钙的生物矿化机制,并为仿生材料合成和人类病理结石的抑制等提供重要线索.

Calcium oxalate biomineralization in plants

Calium oxalate (CaOx) biomineralization with diverse and species-specific morphologies and structures formed in specialized cells (idioblast) is a basic and important process in many plant families. During their formation there exist the synergetic interactions between cell growth/expansion and crystal nucleation/growth, indicating that the mineralization process is precisely controlled by biomacromolecules through the exquisite bio-regulation mechanisms rather than a simple chemical precipitation reaction. The mineralized phases and the final mature products formed inside cells are shaped and thermodynamically stabilized by various biomacromolecules expressed and synthesized in corresponding bio-pathways. CaOx crystals in plants fulfill a variety of crucial functions, including the high-capacity calcium regulation and self-protection of plants against herbivory by large animals as well as insects, this may reflect an evolutionary signature under various environmental stresses. In this review, the possible biochemical events in relation to CaOx crystal formations in vivo will be discussed, especially for the oxalic acid biosynthetic pathways, the uptake and accumulation of calcium ions and modulation of crystallization as well. In addition, recent progress in dynamics of CaOx crystallization in vitro at the near-molecular level provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of formation and function of CaOx crystals in plants.