Colorful seashells: Identification of haem pathway genes associated with the synthesis of porphyrin shell color in marine snails.

ABSTRACT: Very little is known about the evolution of molluskan shell pigments, although Mollusca is a highly diverse, species rich, and ecologically important group of animals comprised of many brightly colored taxa. The marine snail genus Clanculus was chosen as an exceptional model for studying the evolution of shell color, first, because in Clanculus margaritarius and Clanculus pharaonius both shell and foot share similar colors and patterns; and second, because recent studies have identified the pigments, trochopuniceus (pink-red), and trochoxouthos (yellow-brown), both comprised of uroporphyrin I and uroporphyrin III, in both shell and colored foot tissue of these species. These unusual characteristics provide a rare opportunity to identify the genes involved in color prod

SUBMITTER: Williams ST 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5723588 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature