title: Transcriptome analysis of shell color-related genes in the clam Meretrix meretrix.
abstract: Color polymorphism has received much attention due to its strong implications for speciation and adaptation. In contrast to body color, little is currently known about the molecular mechanism of shell color formation. This study represents the first analysis of the relationship between whole-scale gene expression and shell color variations in the marine bivalve mollusks via comparative transcriptome analyses. Three clam Meretrix meretrix strains with different and monotonous shell color patterns, which were developed by our 10-year artificial selection, combined with clams with nearly white shell color were used in the analyses. The results supported the idea that there was a relationship between gene expression and shell pigmentation in the clam M. meretrix, and complex signal transduction were involved. It was proposed that Notch signaling pathway played a crucial role in shell pigmentation in a gene-dosage dependent pattern and also potentially involved in the shell color patterning. Calcium signaling process may equally be implicated in shell color formation via activation of Notch pathway. Other differentially expressed genes (e.g., Myl, Mitf) potentially implicated in shell color pigmentation were also noticed. This study provides information on the expression profiles of clams with different shell color morphs and sheds light on color formation mechanism of shell.
authors: Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 7 Nanhai Road, Qingdao, 266071, China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Yue
authors: Qing
authors: Q
authors: Nie
authors: Guoqiang
authors: G
authors: Xiao
authors: Baozhong
authors: B
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D060105:Animal Shells / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000235:genetics*; D003116:Color; D018628:Gene Dosage; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015723:Gene Library; D063990:Gene Ontology; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D005810:Multigene Family; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D059467:Transcriptome