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

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将确定珠母贝中具有商业重要性的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。本工作还将尝试生产在组成型真核启动子下携带绿色荧光蛋白（GFP）转基因的转基因珍珠牡蛎。 将跟踪表达报告基因的转基因动物，以监测受控检疫苗圃系统中转基因的表达模式。 同时进行的实验将分离出该物种中参与生长调节和珍珠层形成的基因。 将对候选生长激素和珍珠层蛋白基因进行测序，与其他软体动物中具有类似功能的已知基因进行比较，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进行，仅在太平洋地区估计就有1.5亿美元。 该项目预计将导致生产生长更快的牡蛎，生产比目前更大和更高质量的珍珠。

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.