This study evaluated the influences of age on the pearl production performance and innate immune responses of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata martensii. Two age‐groups (group A: 1.5 years of age; group B: 2.5 years of age) were subjected to a nucleus insertion operation. The immune‐ and antioxidant‐related enzymatic activities and expression levels of immune‐related genes in both groups were evaluated 3 d after the nucleus insertion operation. The survival rate, retention rate, and biomineralization capacity of the groups were examined when the pearls were harvested. The results showed that the activities of alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and the expressions of the SOD, GPx, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and HSP90 genes were significantly higher in group A than in group B 3 d after the nucleus insertion operation (P < 0.05). Group A had a significantly higher survival rate than group B at 3, 7, and 30 d after the operation and at harvest. Group A had a significantly higher retention rate and pearl thickness than group B at harvest. The expression levels of the biomineralization genes for nacrein and pearlin were significantly higher in group A than in group B (P < 0.05), whereas expression of the biomineralization gene for Pif‐177 was significantly higher in group B. Collectively, these results suggested that 1.5‐year‐old pearl oysters have better pearl production performance and innate immune response to nucleus insertion operations, so selecting young pearl oysters to use as host and donor oysters shows promise as a process for improving the quality of cultured pearls.

中文翻译：

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年龄对珍珠牡蛎Pinctada fucata martensii珍珠生产性能，酶活性和免疫相关基因表达的影响

这项研究评估了年龄对珍珠牡蛎Pinctada fucata martensii的珍珠生产性能和先天免疫反应的影响。。对两个年龄组（A组：1.5岁； B组：2.5岁）进行了髓核插入手术。插入核后3 d，评估两组的免疫和抗氧化剂相关的酶活性以及免疫相关基因的表达水平。收获珍珠时检查了两组的存活率，保留率和生物矿化能力。结果表明，碱性磷酸酶，酸性磷酸酶，超氧化物歧化酶（SOD），过氧化氢酶和谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（GPx）的活性以及SOD，GPx，热休克蛋白70（HSP70）和HSP90基因的表达均显着较高。插入核后3d，A组比B组（P <0.05）。手术后及收获后第3、7和30天，A组的存活率明显高于B组。收获时，A组的保留率和珍珠厚度明显高于B组。相比之下，A组中的珍珠蛋白和珠蛋白的生物矿化基因的表达水平显着高于B组（P  <0.05），而Bif组的Pif-177的生物矿化基因的表达则明显高于B组。 1.5岁的珍珠牡蛎具有更好的珍珠生产性能，并且对核插入操作具有先天免疫反应，因此，选择年轻的珍珠牡蛎作为宿主牡蛎和供体牡蛎显示出有望改善养殖珍珠的质量。