Identification of regulatory genes and signalling pathways that coordinate the fabrication of the gastropod shell

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The evolution of the ability to biomineralise was one of the watershed events in the rise of complex animal life. However our understanding of how this ability first evolved in any animal lineage is almost non-existent. Molluscs (the second largest animal phylum) have enjoyed great evolutionary success in terms of the number of extant (and extinct) species, the diversity of body forms that they display and the range of habitats that they occupy. Much of this success could be attributed to the evolutionary plasticity of the shell. Despite the spectacular diversity of morphologies that the molluscan shell exhibits, the way in which it is constructed is believed to have common evolutionary origins that are not understood. In this proposal we will address this problem and significantly contribute to an understanding of molluscan shell evolution by studying the molecular mechanisms employed by a gastropod to construct its shell. Our specific objectives are to (1) identify signalling pathways and regulatory molecules associated with the initiation of shell formation in Lymnaea stagnalis using transcriptomic and genomic resources and whole mount in situ hybridisation; (2) in parallel with objective 1 to screen signalling pathways for a role in shell gland formation via a pharmaceutical approach; (3) to develop a functional assay that will allow us to specifically characterise the function of genes of interest identified by objectives 1 and/or 2.