The molecular mechanisms of shell formation and pigmentation are issues of great interest in molluscan studies due to the unique physical and biological properties of shells. The Yesso scallop, Patinopecten yessoensis, is one of the most important maricultural bivalves in Asian countries, and its shell color shows polymorphism. To gain more information about the underlying mechanisms of shell formation and pigmentation, this study presents the first analyses of histological and transcriptional differences between different mantle regions of the Yesso scallop, which are thought to be responsible for the formation of different shell layers. The results showed major microstructural differences between the edge and central mantles, which were closely associated with their functions. Different biomineralization-related GO functions, which might participate in the formation of different shell layers, were significantly enriched in the different mantle regions, indicating the different molecular functions of the two mantle regions in shell formation. The melanogenesis pathway, which controls melanin biosynthesis, was the most significantly enriched pathway in the DEGs between the two mantle regions, indicating its important role in shell pigmentation. Tyr, the key and rate-limiting gene in melanogenesis, was expressed at a remarkably high level in the central mantle, while the upstream regulatory genes included in melanogenesis were mainly upregulated in the edge mantle, suggesting the different molecular functions of the two mantle regions in shell pigmentation.

中文翻译：

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虾夷扇贝（Patinopecten yessoensis）不同地幔区域之间的组织学和表达差异为生物矿化和色素沉着的分子机理提供了见识。

由于壳的独特物理和生物学特性，壳形成和色素沉着的分子机理是软体动物研究中非常感兴趣的问题。Yesso扇贝，Yessoensis Patinopecten，是亚洲国家中最重要的海产双壳类之一，其壳色显示出多态性。为了获得有关壳形成和色素沉着的潜在机制的更多信息，本研究提供了对Yesso扇贝不同地幔区域之间的组织学和转录差异的首次分析，认为这是造成不同壳层形成的原因。结果表明边缘和中央地幔之间的主要微观结构差异，与它们的功能密切相关。不同的生物矿化相关的GO功能（可能参与不同的壳层的形成）在不同的地幔区域中显着富集，表明这两个地幔区域在壳形成中具有不同的分子功能。Tyr是黑色素生成中的关键和限速基因，在中央地幔中以很高的水平表达，而黑色素生成中包括的上游调节基因主要在边缘地幔中上调，表明这两个地幔区域的分子功能不同。在壳色素沉着。