Abstract

Pinctada maxima are most well known for their production of high-quality natural pearls. They also generate another natural material, the byssus, an adhesive thread critical for steadfast attachment underwater. Herein, P. maxima byssal threads were analysed via proteotranscriptomics to reveal 49 proteins. Further characterisation was undertaken on five highly expressed genes: glycine-rich thread protein (GRT; also known as PUF3), apfp1/perlucin-like protein (Pmfp1); peroxidase; thrombospondin 1, and Balbiani ring 3 (BR3), which showed localised tissue expression. The spatial distribution of GRT and Pmfp1 via immunodetection combined with histology helped to identify glandular regions of the foot that contribute to byssal thread production: the byssal gland, the duct gland, and two thread-forming glands of basophilic and acidophilic serous-like cells. This work advanced primary knowledge on the glands involved in the creation of byssal threads and the protein composition of the byssus for P. maxima, providing a platform for the design of marine biopolymers.

摘要

Pinctada maxima以生产高品质的天然珍珠而闻名。它们还产生另一种天然材料，即 byssus，一种粘合线，对于在水下牢固附着至关重要。在此，通过蛋白质转录组学分析了P. maxima byssal 线以揭示 49 种蛋白质。对五个高表达基因进行了进一步的表征：富含甘氨酸的线蛋白（GRT；也称为 PUF3）、apfp1/perlucin 样蛋白（Pmfp1）；过氧化物酶；血小板反应蛋白 1 和 Balbiani 环 3 (BR3)，显示局部组织表达。GRT 和 Pmfp1通过的空间分布免疫检测与组织学相结合有助于识别足部有助于产生足底线的腺体区域：足底腺、导管腺以及嗜碱性和嗜酸浆液样细胞的两个螺纹形成腺。这项工作提高了关于参与产生尾丝线的腺体和P. maxima尾丝的蛋白质组成的初步知识，为海洋生物聚合物的设计提供了一个平台。