QuantSeq exploration of Pinctada margaritifera pearl sac tissue across contrasting pearl phenotypes for the Quanapa project, 2019

Pearl quality in mollusks relies on the controlled deposition of aragonitic nacre layers by the pearl sac epithelium. However, disruptions of this process frequently lead to calcitic deposits, that degrade pearl quality. Yet the molecular basis of this polymorph shift remains unclear. Here, we investigated the transcriptional architecture underlying cultured pearl phenotype formation produced by the black-lipped pearl oyster Pinctada margaritifera, using large-scale (4 sites across Frenc Polynesia) transcriptomic profiling of pearl sac tissues across contrasting pearl phenotypes (4 phenotypes).