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The Inner‐Shell Film: An Immediate Structure Participating in Pearl Oyster Shell Formation
Author(s) -
Yan Zhenguang,
Ma Zhuojun,
Zheng Guilan,
Feng Qiaoli,
Wang Hongzhong,
Xie Liping,
Zhang Rongqing
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
chembiochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 126
eISSN - 1439-7633
pISSN - 1439-4227
DOI - 10.1002/cbic.200700553
Subject(s) - calcite , shell (structure) , aragonite , biomineralization , crystallization , pinctada fucata , chemical engineering , precipitation , materials science , ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid , crystallography , chemistry , mineralogy , inorganic chemistry , pearl oyster , pearl , composite material , chelation , physics , meteorology , engineering , philosophy , theology
In mollusks, the inner shell film is located in the shell‐mantle zone and it is important in shell formation. In this study, we found that the film was composed of two individual films under certain states and some columnar structures were observed between the two individual films. The inner shell film was separated with the process of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) treatment and the film proteins were extracted. Amino acid analysis showed that the film proteins may consist of shell framework proteins. The calcite crystallization experiment showed that the film proteins could inhibit the growth of calcite, while the CaCO 3 precipitation experiment showed that the film proteins could accelerate the rate of CaCO 3 precipitation. All these results suggested that the film plays an important role in shell formation. It may facilitate the aragonite formation by inhibiting the growth of calcite and accelerate the shell growth by promoting the precipitation of CaCO 3 crystals.