Bions: A Family of Biomimetic Mineralo-Organic Complexes Derived from Biological Fluids

Abstract

Mineralo-organic nanoparticles form spontaneously in human body fluids when the concentrations of calcium and phosphate ions exceed saturation. We have shown previously that these mineralo-organic nanoparticles possess biomimetic properties and can reproduce the whole phenomenology of the so-called nanobacteria—mineralized entities initially described as the smallest microorganisms on earth. Here, we examine the possibility that various charged elements and ions may form mineral nanoparticles with similar properties in biological fluids. Remarkably, all the elements tested, including sodium, magnesium, aluminum, calcium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, strontium, and barium form mineralo-organic particles with bacteria-like morphologies and other complex shapes following precipitation with phosphate in body fluids. Upon formation, these mineralo-organic particles, which we term bions, invariably accumulate carbonate apatite during incubation in biological fluids; yet, the particles also incorporate additional elements and thus reflect the ionic milieu in which they form. Bions initially harbor an amorphous mineral phase that gradually converts to crystals in culture. Our results show that serum produces a dual inhibition-seeding effect on bion formation. Using a comprehensive proteomic analysis, we identify a wide range of proteins that bind to these mineral particles during incubation in medium containing serum. The two main binding proteins identified, albumin and fetuin-A, act as both inhibitors and seeders of bions in culture. Notably, bions possess several biomimetic properties, including the possibility to increase in size and number and to be sub-cultured in fresh culture medium. Based on these results, we propose that bions represent biological, mineralo-organic particles that may form in the body under both physiological and pathological homeostasis conditions. These mineralo-organic particles may be part of a physiological cycle that regulates the function, transport and disposal of elements and minerals in the human body.

What Nanobacteria and Nanovesicles May Tell Us about the Origin of Life?

“…But are they alive? The group around Martel and Young [22] [23] [26] claims that nanobacteria are only complex inorganic (mostly calcium carbonate or phosphate based)-organic (mostly protein) systems. These researchers managed to form nanobacteria like vesicles, called bions, on the basis of other cations than Ca, like Mn, Cu, Fe, Ni, Sr, Na etc.…”

“…These researchers managed to form nanobacteria like vesicles, called bions, on the basis of other cations than Ca, like Mn, Cu, Fe, Ni, Sr, Na etc. (see [26]), but still with animal proteins, e.g. fetal bovine serum.…”

“…produced absolutely artificially, they have no trace of genetic material and are classified as non-living, bio-mimetic complex chemical systems [26]. Biomimetic forms may be achieved also by solely inorganic chemicals, like silica, barium and calcium and are called biomorphs; they were aptly described by the group around Garcia-Ruiz [27].…”

A Story Told by a Single Nanoparticle in the Body Fluid: Demonstration of Dissolution-Reprecipitation of Nanocrystals in a Biological System

“…We have recently demonstrated that mineralizing nanoparticles (NPs) form spontaneously in body fluids [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]. These calcium apatite NPs have further been shown to grow in size [8,10,11], seed new particles [2,3,11] and undergo amorphous to crystalline transformation [2,4,6], under which conditions they may resemble biomimetically submicroscopic lifeforms like bacteria [5,9,13].…”

Are calcifying microvesicles another analogous substructure of calcifying nanoparticles?

“…17 Also, if both types of particles, either calcifying microvesicles or calcifying nanoparticles, are present in the same plaque, they must somehow be biologically distinct from each other, or be calcifying microvesicles, another analogous substructure of calcifying nanoparticles? However, development of specific biomolecular markers against all biologically existing particles, including recently added bions, 18 holds the promise of putting an end to all ambiguities pertaining to their identities.…”