SBIR Phase I: Increased Profitability and Pearl Quality Using Recombinant DNA Technology

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将确定margartifera中具有商业价值的重要基因，作为未来操纵的目标，以提高黑珍珠养殖的效率和盈利能力。本工作还将尝试在真核组成启动子下生产携带绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）转基因珍珠牡蛎。表达报告基因的转基因动物将在一个受控的检疫苗圃系统中被跟踪以监测转基因的表达模式。同时进行的实验将分离出该物种中参与生长调控和珍珠层形成的基因。将对候选生长激素和珍珠蛋白基因进行测序，并与其他软体动物中已知的具有类似功能的基因进行比较，并验证其同源性。该项目的商业应用将在黑珍珠市场的高端市场进行，仅在太平洋地区估计就可达到1.5亿美元的规模。该项目预计将生产出生长更快的牡蛎，产出比现有的珍珠更大、质量更高的珍珠。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will identify commercially-important genes in Pinctada margaritifera as targets for future manipulation in order to improve the efficiency and profitability of black pearl farming. This work will also attempt to produce transgenic pearl oysters that carry the Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) transgene under a constitutive eukaryotic promoter. Transgenic animals expressing the reporter gene will be followed to monitor expression patterns of the transgene in a controlled quarantine nursery system. Concurrent experiments will isolate genes involved in growth regulation and nacre formation in this species. Candidate growth hormone and nacre protein genes will be sequenced, compared to known genes of similar function in other molluscs and verified as homologous The commercial application of this project will be at the high end of the black pearl market that is estimated to be of the order of $ 150 million in the Pacific alone. This project is expected to result in the production of faster growing oysters that yield bigger and higher quality pearls than those currently available.