The shell is the main protective structure and a key feature of mollusks. In 2020, the researchers noticed that one cytoskeletal molecule (F-actin) was strongly aggregated in the shell field of the ...

"It becomes a death race of sorts. Can the oyster build its shell quickly enough to allow its feeding mechanisms to develop before it runs out of energy from the egg?" The study is important, ...

Researchers have carried out the first detailed study of the molecular mechanisms responsible for formation of the brachiopod shell. Comparison with shell synthesis in other groups reveals the deep ...

Researchers in the UK have applied computing power to crack a problem in egg shell formation. The work may also give a partial answer to the age old question "what came first the chicken or the egg?" ...

Tsukuba, Japan—Mollusks exhibit diverse shell morphologies, such as those seen in bivalves (e.g., clams) and gastropods (e.g., snails). Understanding the mechanisms underlying shell formation requires ...

Molluscan shell matrix proteins (SMPs) are essential in biomineralization. Here, we identify potentially important SMPs by exploiting the asymmetric shell growth in snail, Lymnaea stagnalis.

The adult pearl oysters, live and healthy P. fucata, with a shell length 5–6 cm and 30–40 g of wet weight, were purchased from the Zhanjiang Pearl Farm (Guangdong, China). They were maintained in ...