title: Molecular approaches to understand biomineralization of shell nacreous layer.
abstract: The nacreous layer of molluskan shells, which consists of highly oriented aragonitic crystals and an organic matrix (including chitin and proteins), is a product of biomineralization. This paper briefly introduces the recent research advances on nacre biomineralization of shells from bivalves and gastropods, which mainly focus on analysis of the micro- and nano-structure and components of shell nacreous layers, and investigations of the characteristics and functions of matrix proteins from nacre. Matrix proteins not only participate in construction of the organic nacre framework, but also control the nucleation and growth of aragonitic crystals, as well as determine the polymorph specificity of calcium carbonate in nacre. Moreover, the inorganic aragonite phase also plays an active role in organizing nacre microstructure. Based on these studies, several models to illustrate the formation mechanism related to lamellar nacre in bivalves, and columnar nacre in gastropods are introduced.
authors.affiliation: Protein Science Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Marine Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P. R. China, lpxie@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Li-Ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Fang-Jie
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yu-Juan
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Rong-Qing
authors.initials: RQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D060105:Animal Shells / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000378:metabolism; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D060734:Nacre / Q000737:chemistry; D011506:Proteins
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D060734:Nacre; D011506:Proteins; D002686:Chitin; D002119:Calcium Carbonate