Mollusca evolutionary success can be attributed partly to their efficiency to sustain and protect their soft body with an external biomineralized structure, the shell. Current knowledge of the protein set responsible for the formation of the shell microstructural polymorphism and unique properties remains largely patchy. In Pinctada margaritifera and Pinctada maxima, we identified 80 shell matr...

The shell of the pearl oyster (Pinctada fucata) mainly comprises aragonite whereas that of the Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is mainly calcite, thereby suggesting the different mechanisms of shell formation between above two mollusks. Calmodulin (CaM) is an important gene for regulating the uptake, transport, and secretion of calcium during the process of shell formation in pearl oyster. I...

1Instituto de Pesca-APTA-SAA/SP, Caixa Postal 157, Cananéia, SP 11990-000, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected] (corresponding author) 2Universidade Federal Dos Vales Do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina, MG 39100-000, Brazil 3Laboratório de Ictiogenética, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, SP 05508-090, Brazil. PCR-RFLP PARA IDENTIFICAÇÃO DE OSTRAS PERLÍFERAS (Pinctada imbr...

The pearl oyster, “Pinctada radiate”, is a native species of Persian Gulf area, which has always been attractive for its ability of producing pearl. Thus, studying the gonadal maturation of the pearl oyster has been important for nucleus implantation to pearl production. In this study, samples were taken in winter and spring from Lavan and Kish Islands. The classic histological methods were use...

We compared the mechanical properties of 'ordinary' bovine bone, the highly mineralized bone of the rostrum of the whale Mesoplodon densirostris, and mother of pearl (nacre) of the pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera. The rostrum and the nacre are similar in having very little organic material. However, the rostral bone is much weaker and more brittle than nacre, which in these properties is cl...