海洋酸化对合浦珠母贝足丝性能的影响及其机制

Many marine organisms experienced sessile life to adapt the changing ocean environment. Bivalves are typical representative and the byssus secreted by these bivalves has excellent adhesive properties, which have important ecological significance. The byssus is also a research hotspot in research field of marine materials, which have significant scientific value for further developing and utilizing. It is reported that ocean acidification caused by global climate change affected the byssus performance of pearl oysters, but the mechanism is not clear. Analysis of the mechanism is very necessary for us to understand the effects of ocean acidification on pearl oysters and pearl farming. Therefore, this project based on the research of byssus structure and adhesion mechanism, taking the typical seawater pearl oyster Pinctada fucata as the research object. By analyzing the transcriptomic differences, detecting the content of byssus protein and Dopa, detecting the changes of byssus property, determining the metal content of byssus, observing the anatomical differences of byssus gland and the changes of byssus structure, this project is to elaborate the impacts of ocean acidification on the structure and performance of P. fucata byssus and to reveal its mechanism from the perspective of molecular level, cellular level and morphological structure. This study therefore is beneficial to the deep understanding of the adhesion mechanism of P. fucata byssus, and also provides data support for the response mechanism of pearl oysters to marine environment change.

许多海洋生物为适应多变的海洋环境而营附着生活。双壳贝类是其中的典型代表，它们所分泌的足丝具有优异的黏附性能。足丝黏附不但具有显著的生态学意义，也是海洋材料领域的研究热点，具备潜在的开发和利用价值。报道指出，全球气候变化引起的海洋酸化影响珍珠贝的足丝性能，但具体机制仍不清楚，该机制的解析对于全面了解海洋酸化对珍珠贝及珍珠养殖业的影响是十分必要的。因此，本项目以海水珍珠养殖贝类-合浦珠母贝为研究对象，在足丝结构和黏附机制的研究基础之上，通过分析足转录组、检测足丝蛋白和多巴含量、测定足丝金属含量、观察足丝腺和足丝结构、测试足丝机械性能等手段，拟从分子水平、组织细胞水平和形态结构水平等多角度阐述海洋酸化对合浦珠母贝足丝结构和性能的影响及其机制。该研究有利于进一步揭示合浦珠母贝足丝的黏附机制，并为全面了解珍珠贝应对海洋环境变化的响应机制提供数据支撑。

双壳贝类的足丝具有优异的水下黏附性能。相关的研究报道显示海水酸化影响贝类足丝的性能，但其中的影响机制仍然不是十分清楚。本项目以重要的珍珠养殖贝类--合浦珠母贝为研究对象，利用海水化学、高通量组学、分析化学以及材料学等多学科交叉技术，研究海洋酸化对合浦珠母贝足丝结构和性能的影响，并结合相关足丝蛋白基因表达变化、足丝蛋白的组成和含量变化以及足丝金属含量的变化情况，在分子、细胞和形态结构等水平上揭示了海洋酸化对足丝结构和性能的影响机理。主要机制：海水酸化影响合浦珠母贝足组织中足丝形成相关基因（包括足丝蛋白基因）的表达，改变足丝蛋白的组成、含量、结构等，改变足丝中无机离子含量，进而影响到足丝的内部结构，最终引起足丝生成数量降低、足丝力学性能下降。该研究结果为深入了解合浦珠母贝足丝的黏附机制、揭示珍珠贝应对海洋环境变化的响应机制提供了数据支撑，相关研究结果在水下黏附材料研究领域也具有重要的科学意义和潜在的应用价值。