Elsevier, Microbial Pathogenesis, (73), p. 25-30, 2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2014.05.003
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"Nanobacteria", also known as nanons or calciprotein particles (CPP), are nano-sized protein mineral complexes which have been isolated from numerous biological sources. Nanons possess self-replication properties and contain only serum proteins (e.g. Fetuin-A, Albumin). Herein, we develop a simplified in vitro model of nanons propagation composed of only fetuin-A as protein. Using this model, we demonstrate that fetuin from nanons possesses a different, non-native conformation. Moreover, we show that nanons induce soluble fetuin-A precipitation which could serve as a template for calcification. This phenomenon explains the observed self-propagating properties that mimic infectious behavior. We also demonstrate that renal calculi are capable of inducing a conformational change in fetuin-A, suggesting that the propagation phenomenon of nanons may occur in vivo.