GrowTallest

Mineralisation and pyrophosphate

How the bottom of a growth plate turns to mineral, the inhibitor that gates the step, and the genes on either side of that gate.

Matrix and bonePublished

10 min read37 sources

A hypertrophic chondrocyte buds off a matrix vesicle. PHOSPHO1 inside it raises phosphate and the first crystal of bone mineral forms there, then the crystal spreads out along the collagen wherever TNAP has destroyed the pyrophosphate that ENPP1 makes. PHOSPHO1Pi ↑ENPP1PPiTNAPcollagenChondrocyteVesicleMineral spreadsfirst crystalTNAP clears PPi

Bone mineral is hydroxyapatite, built from calcium and inorganic phosphate (Pi). Inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) inhibits its formation and growth. The controlled variable is the Pi/PPi ratio in the space immediately around the cell.

In this article

  • Matrix vesicles
  • TNAP
  • ENPP1
  • ANKH
  • Renal phosphate transport
  • Matrix Gla protein
  • Osteocalcin
  • Compounds

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