Pearl formation: Persistence of the graft during the entire process of biomineralization

Type Article
Date 2007
Language English
Author(s) Arnaud-Haond SophieORCID1, Goyard Emmanuel1, Vonau Vincent1, Herbaut C2, Prou JeanORCID1, Saulnier Denis1
Affiliation(s) 1 : IFREMER, COP, Lab Aquaculture Trop, Taravao 98719, Tahiti, Fr Polynesia.
2 : Univ Pacifique, Lab Genet Mol Humaine, Tahiti, Fr Polynesia.
Source Marine Biotechnology (1436-2228) (Springer), 2007 , Vol. 9 , N. 1 , P. 113-116
DOI 10.1007/s10126-006-6033-5
WOS© Times Cited 60
Keyword(s) Genotype, Pearl, Pearl sac, Grafting, Biomineralization, Pearl oyster
Abstract Most bivalves species of the genus Pinctada are well known throughout the world for production of white or black pearls of high commercial value. For cultured pearl production, a mantle allograft from a donor is implanted into the gonad of a recipient oyster, together with a small inorganic bead. Because of the dedifferentiation of cells during the first steps of the host oyster's immunological reaction, so far the fate of the graft and its exact role in the process of pearl formation could not be determined via classical histological methods. Here we report the first molecular evidence of the resilience of the graft in the recipient organism by showing that cells containing genome from the donor are still present at the end of pearl formation. These results suggest the existence of a unique biological cooperation leading to the successful biomineralization process of nacreous secretion in pearl formation.
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