The pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii genome and multi-omic analyses provide insights into biomineralization.

ABSTRACT: Nacre, the iridescent material found in pearls and shells of molluscs, is formed through an extraordinary process of matrix-assisted biomineralization. Despite recent advances, many aspects of the biomineralization process and its evolutionary origin remain unknown. The pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii is a well-known master of biomineralization, but the molecular mechanisms that underlie its production of shells and pearls are not fully understood. We sequenced the highly polymorphic genome of the pearl oyster and conducted multi-omic and biochemical studies to probe nacre formation. We identified a large set of novel proteins participating in matrix-framework formation, many in expanded families, including components similar to that found in vertebrate bones such as collagen-relate

SUBMITTER: Du X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5597905 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature