Preferential preservation of noncollagenous protein during bone diagenesis: Implications for chronometric and stable isotopic measurements

Masters, Patricia M.

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(87)90129-3

Cited by 102 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 21 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Hare 1980;Masters 1987) until amino acid compositions are very low, and (2) racemisation, which appears to be highly variable (Weiner et al 1980;Taylor et al 1989;Kimber and Hare 1992;Ritz-Timme and Collins 2002), but is lower in high molecular weight fractions. One notable exception to this was the biochemical characterisation conducted by Tuross et al (1980) and Armstrong et al (1983), which employed cleavage with CNBr-and pepsin followed by resolution on SDS-PAGE.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Archaeological collagen: Why worry about collagen diagenesis?

Dobberstein

Collins

Craig

et al. 2009

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

128

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Bone amino acid profiles are surprisingly consistent (and collagen like) and retain unstable amino acids such as methionine (Jope 1980) until levels are very low (Hare 1980;Masters 1987). Bulk characteristics of the insoluble fractions such as C:N ratio (2.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Archaeological collagen: Why worry about collagen diagenesis?

Dobberstein

Collins

Craig

et al. 2009

Archaeol Anthropol Sci

128

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Sometimes characterized as "matrix proteins," they include osteocalcin, osteonectin and other phosphoproteins, proteoglycans, and sialo-and glycoproteins (Gundberg et al 1984;Hauschka and Wiams 1989). Other non-collagen components include blood proteins such as hemoglobin, serum albumin and the immunoglobins (Long et al 1989;Gillespie 1989;Nelson et al 1986;Masters 1987). The UCR Radiocarbon Laboratory has previously been involved in examining the biochemical and isotopic integrity of osteocalcin 14C values in fossil bone.…”

Section: Approaches To 14c Dating Of Collagen-degraded Bonementioning

confidence: 99%

¹⁴C Dating of Bone Using γ-Carboxyglutamic Acid and α-Carboxyglycine (Aminomalonate)

et al. 1997

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

ABSTRACT. Radiocarbon determinations have been obtained on y-carboxyglutamic acid [Gla] and a-carboxyglycine (aminomalonate) [Am] as well as acid-and base-hydrolyzed total amino acids isolated from a series of fossil bones. As far as we are aware, Am has not been reported previously in fossil bone and neither Gla nor Am 14C values have been measured previously. Interest in Gla, an amino acid found in the non-collagen proteins osteocalcin and matrix Gla-protein (MOP), proceeds from the suggestion that it may be preferentially retained and more resistant to diagenetic contamination affecting 14C values in bones exhibiting low and trace amounts of collagen. Our data do not support these suggestions. The suite of bones examined showed a general tendency for total amino acid and Gla concentrations to decrease in concert. Even for bones retaining significant amounts of collagen, Gla (and Am extracts) can yield 14C values discordant with their expected age and with 14C values obtained on total amino-acid fractions isolated from the same bone sample.

show abstract

“…As the amino acid composition changes over time due to diagenesis, however, the isotopic composition of the bulk organic matter may also change, regardless of contamination, due to the large differences in the isotopic composition of the individual amino acids (26). Carbon/nitrogen (C/N) ratios have been used to assess the presence of noncollagenous contaminants of collagen extracts from bone (24,27 (29). Recently, the D enantiomer of aspartic acid was also found to be relatively depleted in the heavier isotopes, whereas no isotopic differences between the carbon isotopes of the neutral amino acid enantiomers were found (30).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Indigeneity of organic matter in fossils: a test using stable isotope analysis of amino acid enantiomers in Quaternary mollusk shells.

Engel

Goodfriend

Qian

et al. 1994

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Comparison of the 813C values of D and L enantfomers of individual amino acids was used to evaluate the presence of amino acid contaminants in Quaternary land snals. Measurements of 813C values of amino acid D and L enantiomers determined by combined gas chromatography, combustion, isotope-ratio mass spectrometry are reported. Conventional combustion techniques, following separation of aspartic acid and glutamic acid enantiomers by liquid chromatography, were also used to determine 813C as well as 815N values. Thoroughly cleaned samples ranging in age from 7000 to >100,000 yr B.P. are shown to have analytically identical 813C values for the D and L enantiomers of each amino add, thus confirming that the amino acids are indigenous to the shells, even in Pleistocene samples. On the other hand, partially cleaned material shows divergence of isotopic values, thus indicating the presence of amino acid contaminants and emphasing the importance of proper cleaning procedures. This approach provides a powerful method for assessing the indigeneity of amino adds in fossils.A variety of types of studies depend on the assumption that the organic constituents of fossils are indigenous. These include amino acid racemization/epimerization dating of marine (1), terrestrial (2, 3), and freshwater (4) samples, paleotemperature estimation from amino acid racemization rates (5), analysis offree amino acid concentrations for dating (6), taxonomic studies (7,8), and reconstruction ofpaleodiets (9,10) and paleoclimates (11-13) from the stable isotope composition of organic matter.Indigeneity has previously been assessed by a variety of methods, no one of which has proved particularly reliable. Relative abundances of amino acids in fossils have been compared to modern samples ofrelated species (14, 15). Such comparisons, however, are problematic because even in uncontaminated material, the proportions of the various amino acids will change over time as a result of more rapid breakdown of the less stable ones, such as serine, threonine, and aspartic acid. Amounts of amino acids may decrease by several orders of magnitude over thousands to millions of years (3,(15)(16)(17). The extent of racemization of amino acids has also been used to assess indigeneity, with the criterion being that very old samples should show equilibrium ratios of D/L amino acid enantiomers if they are uncontaminated (18).But racemization rates may be very reduced in certain molecular components (19,20), especially where the amino acids have undergone condensation reactions with sugars (21). Microscopic examination has been used to show that the fossil matrix has been physically preserved (22,23), but microstructure is not sensitive to either chemical preservation or the presence of contaminants (23). The similarity of the stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition of bulk fossil organic matter to modern samples (24) and their dissimilarity to the sedimentary matrix (25) have also been used to indicate indigeneity of organic matter. As the amino acid comp...

show abstract

Preferential preservation of noncollagenous protein during bone diagenesis: Implications for chronometric and stable isotopic measurements

Cited by 102 publications

References 21 publications

Archaeological collagen: Why worry about collagen diagenesis?

Archaeological collagen: Why worry about collagen diagenesis?

¹⁴C Dating of Bone Using γ-Carboxyglutamic Acid and α-Carboxyglycine (Aminomalonate)

Indigeneity of organic matter in fossils: a test using stable isotope analysis of amino acid enantiomers in Quaternary mollusk shells.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Preferential preservation of noncollagenous protein during bone diagenesis: Implications for chronometric and stable isotopic measurements

Cited by 102 publications

References 21 publications

Archaeological collagen: Why worry about collagen diagenesis?

Archaeological collagen: Why worry about collagen diagenesis?

14C Dating of Bone Using γ-Carboxyglutamic Acid and α-Carboxyglycine (Aminomalonate)

Indigeneity of organic matter in fossils: a test using stable isotope analysis of amino acid enantiomers in Quaternary mollusk shells.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

¹⁴C Dating of Bone Using γ-Carboxyglutamic Acid and α-Carboxyglycine (Aminomalonate)