Abstract
Nacre of the Pinctada pearl oyster shells is composed of 98% CaCO3 and 2% organic matrix. The relationship between the organic matrix and the mechanism of nacre formation currently constitutes the main focus regarding the biomineralization process. In this study, we isolated a new nacre matrix protein in P. margaritifera and P. maxima, we called Pmarg- and Pmax-MRNP34 (methionine-rich nacre protein). MRNP34 is a secreted hydrophobic protein, which is remarkably rich in methionine, and which is specifically localised in mineralizing the epithelium cells of the mantle and in the nacre matrix. The structure of this protein is drastically different from those of the other nacre proteins already described. This unusual methionine-rich protein is a new member in the growing list of low complexity domain containing proteins that are associated with biocalcifications. These observations offer new insights to the molecular mechanisms of biomineralization.
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Abbreviations
- AA:
-
Amino-acid
- AIM:
-
Acid-insoluble matrix
- ASM:
-
Acid-soluble matrix
- EST:
-
Expressed sequence tag
- ISH:
-
In situ hybridization
- MRNP:
-
Methionine-rich nacre protein
- MS:
-
Mass spectrometry
- RLCD:
-
Repeated low complexity domain
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Acknowledgments
This study is part of a collaborative project (GDR ADEQUA) supported by the “Service de la perliculture” of French Polynesia. It is also supported by Ifremer, the University of French Polynesia, and the University of Burgundy. Authors are grateful to Nathalie Cochennec-Laureau, Marcel Le Pennec, Péva Levy, Cédrik Lo and Anne-Sandrine Talfer for helpful discussions and assistance. The work of F. Marin is financially supported by ANR funding (ACCRO-EARTH, ref. BLAN06-2_159971, coordinator Gilles Ramstein, LSCE) during the period 2007–2011.
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Marie, B., Joubert, C., Belliard, C. et al. Characterization of MRNP34, a novel methionine-rich nacre protein from the pearl oysters. Amino Acids 42, 2009–2017 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-0932-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-0932-0