STMP and PVPA as Templating Analogs of Noncollagenous Proteins Induce Intrafibrillar Mineralization of Type I Collagen via PCCP Process

The phosphorylated noncollagenous proteins (NCPs) play a vital role in manipulating biomineralization, while the mechanism of phosphorylation of NCPs in intrafibrillar mineralization of collagen fibril has not been completely deciphered. Poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA) and sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) as templating analogs of NCPs induce hierarchical mineralization in cooperation with indispensable sequestration analogs such as polyacrylic acid (PAA) via polymer‐induced liquid‐like precursor (PILP) process. Herein, STMP‐Ca and PVPA‐Ca complexes are proposed to achieve rapid intrafibrillar mineralization through polyelectrolyte‐Ca complexes pre‐precursor (PCCP) process. This strategy is further verified effectively for remineralization of demineralized dentin matrix both in vitro and in vivo. Although STMP micromolecule fails to stabilize amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) precursor, STMP‐Ca complexes facilely permeate into intrafibrillar interstices and trigger phase transition of ACP to hydroxyapatite within collagen. In contrast, PVPA‐stabilized ACP precursors lack liquid‐like characteristic and crystallize outside collagen due to rigid conformation of PVPA macromolecule, while PVPA‐Ca complexes infiltrate into partial intrafibrillar intervals under electrostatic attraction and osmotic pressure as evidenced by intuitionistic 3D stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (3D‐STORM). The study not only extends the variety and size range of polyelectrolyte for PCCP process but also sheds light on the role of phosphorylation for NCPs in biomineralization. Both poly(vinylphosphonic acid) (PVPA) and sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP), as templating analogs of phosphorylated noncollagenous proteins (NCPs), could induce intrafibrillar mineralization and dentin remineralization via polyelectrolyte‐Ca complexes pre‐precursor (PCCP) process. This study not only enriches PCCP process with a wider molecular weight range and a diverse variety of polyelectrolytes, but also sheds light on the role of phosphorylation in biomineralization.