Nanotechnology 2012 Dec 14;2349:495104. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/23/49/495104.

High ordered biomineralization induced by carbon nanoparticles in the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus.

???displayArticle.abstract???
A surprising and unexpected biomineralization process was observed during toxicological assessment of carbon nanoparticles on Paracentrotus lividus (sea urchin) pluteus larvae. The larvae activate a process of defense against external material, by incorporating the nanoparticles into microstructures of aragonite similarly to pearl oysters. Aiming at a better understanding of this phenomenon, the larvae were exposed to increasing concentrations of carbon nanoparticles and the biomineralization products were analyzed by electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy. In order to evaluate the possible influence of Sp-CyP-1 expression on this biomineralization process by larvae, analyses of gene expression (Sp-CyP-1) and calcein labeling were performed. Overall, we report experimental evidence about the capability of carbon nanoparticles to induce an increment of Sp-CyP-1 expression with the consequent activation of a biomineralization process leading to the production of a new pearl-like biomaterial never previously observed in sea urchins.

???displayArticle.pubmedLink??? 23165288
???displayArticle.link??? Nanotechnology


Genes referenced: LOC100887844