An acidic matrix protein, Pif, is a key macromolecule for nacre formation.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 19679771.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/science.1173793.
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Abstract
The mollusk shell is a hard tissue consisting of calcium carbonate crystals and an organic matrix. The nacre of the shell is characterized by a stacked compartment structure with a uniformly oriented c axis of aragonite crystals in each compartment. Using a calcium carbonate-binding assay, we identified an acidic matrix protein, Pif, in the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata that specifically binds to aragonite crystals. The Pif complementary DNA (cDNA) encoded a precursor protein, which was posttranslationally cleaved to produce Pif 97 and Pif 80. The results from immunolocalization, a knockdown experiment that used RNA interference, and in vitro calcium carbonate crystallization studies strongly indicate that Pif regulates nacre formation.
Medical subject headings
- Calcification, Physiologic
- Calcium Carbonate
- Pinctada
- Proteins