title: A scallop IGF binding protein gene: molecular characterization and association of variants with growth traits.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scallops represent economically important aquaculture shellfish. The identification of genes and genetic variants related to scallop growth could benefit high-yielding scallop breeding. The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system is essential for growth and development, with IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) serving as the major regulators of IGF actions. Although an effect of IGF on growth was detected in bivalve, IGFBP has not been reported, and members of the IGF system have not been characterized in scallop.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We cloned and characterized an IGFBP (PyIGFBP) gene from the aquaculture bivalve species, Yesso scallop (Patinopecten yessoensis, Jay, 1857). Its full-length cDNA sequence was 1,445 bp, with an open reading frame of 378 bp, encoding 125 amino acids, and its genomic sequence was 10,193 bp, consisting of three exons and two introns. The amino acid sequence exhibited the characteristics of IGFBPs, including multiple cysteine residues and relatively conserved motifs in the N-terminal and C-terminal domains. Expression analysis indicated that PyIGFBP was expressed in all the tissues and developmental stages examined, with a significantly higher level in the mantle than in other tissues and a significantly higher level in gastrulae and trochophore larvae than in other stages. Furthermore, three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified in this gene. SNP c.1054A>G was significantly associated with both shell and soft body traits in two populations, with the highest trait values in GG type scallops and lowest in AG type ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We cloned and characterized an IGFBP gene in a bivalve, and this report also represents the first characterizing an IGF system gene in scallops. A SNP associated with scallop growth for both the shell and soft body was identified in this gene. In addition to providing a candidate marker for scallop breeding, our results also suggest the role of PyIGFBP in scallop growth.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Liying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Xianhui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Jinzhuang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Jiajun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Lingling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Shi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding (MGB), Ministry of Education, College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Zhenmin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Bao
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D056726:Genetic Association Studies; D014644:Genetic Variation; D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D049897:Pectinidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018969:Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Proteins