title: Dermatopontin, a shell matrix protein gene from pearl oyster Pinctada martensii, participates in nacre formation.
abstract: Dermatopontin (DPT) is identified as a major component of the shell matrix protein. However, its exact function in the shell formation remains obscure. In this study, we described the characteristic and function of DPT gene from Pinctada martensii. DPT cDNA was 797 bp long, containing an open reading fragment (ORF) of 537 bp encoding a polypeptide of 178 amino acids with an estimated molecular mass of 21.4 kDa and theoretical isoelectric point of 5.97. The 5' untranslated region (UTR) was 11 bp and the 3'UTR was 249 with 18 bp poly (A) tail. In the peptide, there was a signal sequence, six potential phosphorylation sites, one glycosylation site and eight cysteine residues. Moreover, a sequence motif (D-R-X-W/F/Y-X-F/Y/I/L/M-X(1-2)-C) was contained and repeated itself three times in the entire sequence. DPT mRNA was constitutively expressed in all studied tissues with the most abundant mRNA in the mantle, which was nacre formation-related tissue. After decreasing DPT expression using RNA interference (RNAi) technology in the mantle, the nacreous layer showed a disordered growth; whereas the prismatic layer of the shells has no significant changes. These results suggested that DPT obtained in this study was a constitutive matrix protein and participated in nacre formation in P. martensii.
authors: Fishery College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Jiao
authors: Huan
authors: H
authors: Wang
authors: Xiaodong
authors: X
authors: Du
authors: Xiaoxia
authors: X
authors: Zhao
authors: Qingheng
authors: Q
authors: Wang
authors: Ronglian
authors: R
authors: Huang
authors: Yuewen
authors: Y
authors: Deng
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D060734:Nacre / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D049911:Pinctada / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034622:RNA Interference; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011508:Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D060734:Nacre; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded