title: Highly expressed EGFR in pearl sac may facilitate the pearl formation in the pearl oyster, Pinctada fucata.
abstract: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) plays an important role in cell growth, proliferation, differentiation and migration. Yet whether it functions in pearl formation or not is not reported. In this study, EGFR was cloned from the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata (named as Pf-EGFR) and its expression profiles were investigated. The cDNA was 2156bp long with an ORF of 1017bp encoding 338 amino acid residues. The deduced polypeptide contained an L domain and a cysteine-rich domain, consistent with the characteristics of ErbB family. The sequence of Pf-EGFR shared 22.78-56.71% identity with other EGFRs. The genomic sequence of Pf-EGFR consisted of six exons and five introns, being 5190bp in total length, and expressed in all the tested tissues with a higher expression level in the pearl sac (P<0.05). In situ hybridization showed that Pf-EGFR was specifically expressed on both the inner side of the outer fold and the outer side of the inner fold of the mantle, as well as on the whole pearl sac including the connective tissues. In addition, Pf-EGFR was markedly increased at larval metamorphosis, significantly higher than other development periods (P<0.05). These results indicated that the Pf-EGFR may facilitate pearl formation as well as larval metamorphosis.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Division of Aquaculture and Biotechnology, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Division of Aquaculture and Biotechnology, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Sigang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Division of Aquaculture and Biotechnology, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Guiju
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Fisheries College of Jimei University, Xiamen 361021, China.
authors.forename: Dongling
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Division of Aquaculture and Biotechnology, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China.
authors.forename: Baosuo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Division of Aquaculture and Biotechnology, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China; College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Division of Aquaculture and Biotechnology, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou 510300, China. Electronic address: pearlydh@163.com.
authors.forename: Dahui
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010125:Ostreidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: EGFR; Expression profiles; Larval metamorphosis; Pearl formation; Pearl oyster; Pearl sac