Hierarchies of Extracellular Matrix and Mineral Organization in Bone of the Craniofacial Complex and Skeleton

Structural hierarchies are common in biologic systems and are particularly evident in biomineralized structures. In the craniofacial complex and skeleton of vertebrates, extracellular matrix and mineral of bone are structurally ordered at many dimensional scales from the macro level to the nano level. Indeed, the nanocomposite texture of bone, with nanocrystals of apatitic mineral embedded within a crosslinked matrix of fibrillar and nonfibrillar proteins, imparts to bone the very mechanical properties and toughness it needs to function in vital organ protection, musculoskeletal movement and mastication. This article focuses on how hierarchies of extracellular matrix protein organization influence bone cell behavior, tissue architecture and mineralization. Additional attention is given to recent work on the molecular determinants of mineral induction in bone, and how the mineralization process is subsequently regulated by inhibitory proteins.