@article {4377,
	title = {Characterisation of the mantle transcriptome and biomineralisation genes in the blunt-gaper clam, Mya truncata},
	journal = {Marine Genomics},
	volume = {27},
	year = {2016},
	pages = {47 - 55},
	abstract = {<p>Abstract Members of the Myidae family are ecologically and economically important, but there is currently very little molecular data on these species. The present study sequenced and assembled the mantle transcriptome of Mya truncata from the North West coast of Scotland and identified candidate biomineralisation genes. RNA-Seq reads were assembled to create 20,106 contigs in a de novo transciptome, 18.81\% of which were assigned putative functions using \{BLAST\} sequence similarity searching (cuttoff E-value 1E {\quotesinglbase}{\`a}{\'\i} 10). The most highly expressed genes were compared to the Antarctic clam (Laternula elliptica) and showed that many of the dominant biological functions (muscle contraction, energy production, biomineralisation) in the mantle were conserved. There were however, differences in the constitutive expression of heat shock proteins, which were possibly due to the M. truncata sampling location being at a relatively low latitude, and hence relatively warm, in terms of the global distribution of the species. Phylogenetic analyses of the Tyrosinase proteins from M. truncata showed a gene expansion which was absent in L. elliptica. The tissue distribution expression patterns of putative biomineralisation genes were investigated using quantitative PCR, all genes showed a mantle specific expression pattern supporting their hypothesised role in shell secretion. The present study provides some preliminary insights into how clams from different environments {\quotesinglbase}{\"A}{\`\i} temperate versus polar {\quotesinglbase}{\"A}{\`\i} build their shells. In addition, the transcriptome data provides a valuable resource for future comparative studies investigating biomineralisation.</p>
},
	keywords = {shell},
	issn = {1874-7787},
	doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margen.2016.01.003},
	url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1874778716300034},
	author = {Victoria A. Sleight and Michael A.S. Thorne and Lloyd S. Peck and Arivalagan, Jaison and Berland, Sophie and Marie, Arul and Melody S. Clark}
}
@article {4270,
	title = {Shell matrix proteins of the clam, Mya truncata: Roles beyond shell formation through proteomic study},
	journal = {Marine Genomics},
	volume = {27},
	year = {2016},
	month = {06/2016},
	pages = {69-74},
	abstract = {<p>Abstract Mya truncata, a soft shell clam, is presented as a new model to study biomineralization through a proteomics approach. In this study, the shell and mantle tissue were analysed in order to retrieve knowledge about the secretion of shell matrix proteins (SMPs). Out of 67 and 127 shell and mantle proteins respectively, 16 were found in both shell and mantle. Bioinformatic analysis of \{SMP\} sequences for domain prediction revealed the presence of several new domains such as fucolectin tachylectin-4 pentraxin-1 (FTP), scavenger receptor, alpha-2-macroglobulin ({\OE}{\textpm}2 M), lipocalin and myosin tail along with previously reported \{SMP\} domains such as chitinase, carbonic anhydrase, tyrosinase, sushi, and chitin binding. Interestingly, these newly predicted domains are attributed with molecular functions other than biomineralization. These findings suggest that shells may not only act as protective armour from predatory action, but could also actively be related to other functions such as immunity. In this context, the roles of \{SMPs\} in biomineralization need to be looked in a new perspective.</p>
},
	keywords = {biomineralization},
	issn = {1874-7787},
	doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margen.2016.03.005},
	url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1874778716300186},
	author = {Arivalagan, Jaison and Marie, Benjamin and Victoria A. Sleight and Melody S. Clark and Berland, Sophie and Marie, Arul}
}
