Abstract
The bivalve Pinctada margaritifera exhibits three main transplant phenotypes derived from the donor (from which a mantle graft tissue, the saibo, is excised), the recipient (into which the saibo is implanted with a nucleus, leading to the formation of a pearl sac “chimera”) and the cultured pearls themselves. This first phenome study on the species derived from a large experimental graft. Transplant phenotype was assessed at three scales: 1) macro, pearl size, colour, grade, 2) micro, pearl surface microstructure, and 3) molecular, biomineralisation gene expression level in saibo and pearl sac tissues. From donor to pearl, the phenome revealed fine variations of quality traits dependent on the position on the mantle where the saibo was cut, whose variation could overlap with inter-individual donor phenotype differences. A single donor phenotype could therefore produce multiple pearl phenotypes at the scale of the saibo position, mirroring its original activity at the mantle position level and the colour and shape of the shell. This phenome study provides essential information on phenotypic trait architecture enabling us to explore and explain the main biological functions and pave the way for a phenomic project on P. margaritifera that could benefit the pearl industry.
Highlights
The phenotype is the result of the interplay of genetics with developmental, environmental and stochastic influences, where the intensity, frequency, order and interaction of these influences all affect the outcome
Phenotypic variations were assessed in the present study in a particular transplanted animal model, P. margaritifera, which combines a complex three-way interaction between the donor oyster, recipient oyster and the final cultured pearl product
Oyster shell and cultured pearls are respectively formed in two distinct biomineralised tissues: the mantle and the pearl sac, which are derived from mantle tissue from the donor[16]
Summary
The phenotype is the result of the interplay of genetics with developmental, environmental and stochastic influences, where the intensity, frequency, order and interaction of these influences all affect the outcome. The genotype of the donor persists within the recipient in the form of the pearl sac This chimeric organ displays more complex interactions, when spatial (geographic origin of the population, depth of culture practices), temporal (age of hatchery-produced or wild collected spat), and environmental (grow-out site culture, season of graft, experimental temperature or pH variation) factors are introduced into the equation of the pearl quality trait determination[3]. Phenotypic data were collected at the macroscopic level (pearl quality traits), microscopic level (pearl surface ultrastructure) and molecular scale (expression level of a panel of biomineralisation genes representative of the nacreous aragonite and/or prismatic calcite synthesis in both saibo and pearl sac, derived from each of the mantle sections) This first phenome study, initiated with a set of easy-to-use tools, will provide: 1) basic knowledge to help us to understand phenotypic transmission, range of variation in an animal transplant model, and 2) useful information for the improvement of pearl quality for the industry
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