Shell pigments of mollusks: from chemical structures to mechanisms of pattern formation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26610165
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Stratigraphy/Paleontology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Endo Kazuyoshi 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 教授 (80251411)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KATO Takashi 早稲田大学, 教育・総合科学学術院, 教授 (80350388) ; SATO Noriyuki 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, マリンゲノミクスユニット, 教授 (30025481)
• Research Collaborator: FUJIE Manabu ; SHIMIZU Keisuke ; KAGI Hiroyuki ; SASAKI Takenori ; HATTORI Masahira ; OSHIMA Kenshiro
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 生体色素 / 貝類 / 軟体動物 / 腕足動物 / パターン形成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Identifications of chemical structures of animal pigments are essential to reveal their evolutionary history. We investigated pigment compounds in mollusk and brachiopod shells using Raman microspectroscopy. The compounds tended to be specific for taxa and/or food habits. Based on the results, we have identified putative genes and proteins involved in the metabolism of pigment compounds from the mantle tissues.

Free Research Field

分子古生物学