Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, 560 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2084, USA.
J Am Chem Soc. 2010 Sep 15;132(36):12531-3. doi: 10.1021/ja104996y.
Coastal ecosystems rely upon oyster reefs to filter water, provide protection from storms, and build habitat for other species. From a chemistry perspective, few details are available to illustrate how these shellfish construct such extensive reef systems. Experiments presented here show that oysters generate a biomineralized adhesive material for aggregating into large communities. This cement is an organic-inorganic hybrid and differs from the surrounding shells by displaying an alternate CaCO(3) crystal form, a cross-linked organic matrix, and an elevated protein content. Emerging themes and unique aspects are both revealed when comparing oyster cement to the adhesives of other marine organisms. The presence of cross-linked proteins provides an analogy to mussel and barnacle adhesives whereas the high inorganic content is exclusive to oysters. With a description of oyster cement in hand we gain strategies for developing synthetic composite materials as well as a better understanding of the components needed for healthy coastal environments.
沿海生态系统依赖牡蛎礁来过滤水质、为抵御风暴提供保护，并为其他物种提供栖息地。从化学角度来看，几乎没有细节可以说明这些贝类是如何构建如此广泛的珊瑚礁系统的。本文介绍的实验表明，牡蛎会生成一种生物矿化的黏合材料，用于聚集形成大型群落。这种胶凝材料是一种有机-无机杂化材料，与周围的贝壳不同，它显示出交替的 CaCO(3)晶体形式、交联的有机基质和较高的蛋白质含量。当将牡蛎胶凝材料与其他海洋生物的黏合剂进行比较时，会揭示出一些新兴主题和独特方面。交联蛋白的存在为贻贝和藤壶黏合剂提供了类比，而高无机含量则是牡蛎所独有的。通过描述牡蛎胶凝材料，我们获得了开发合成复合材料的策略，并更好地了解了健康沿海环境所需的成分。
