Discover pearl secrets

Japanese scientists have discovered two proteins that play an important role in pearl production, opening up the possibility of producing large sized pearls in shorter time.

Pearls and nacre have been used as ornaments for thousands of years. In recent years, scientists have discovered the physical structure that helps create their colorful iridescence, minerals that make up those structures and proteins that bind those minerals together. However, what remains a mystery to the scientific world is that proteins actually produce pearls. Japanese scientists have tried to trace these proteins.

By washing nacre with distilled water and using gold nanoparticles with antibodies, scientists at Tokyo University discovered two new proteins, Pif 80 and Pif 97, which are indispensable. in forming nacre . According to these experts, Pif 97 helps to create the basic structure of nacre by chitin, which is also the mineral that lobster and river shrimp use to create the outer shell. Pif 80 binds calcium and bicarbonate to chitin, completing the production of nacre.

(Photo: Stock.xchng)

To test whether these proteins are directly involved in the production of pearls, scientists deliberately removed 2 proteins from pearl pearls in Japan. Using a genetically modified virus, the team reduced the amount of Pif 80 and Pif 97 by about 40% compared to pearl oysters in the control group. Six days later, the boys were almost unable to produce new nacre. The nacre that boys tried to create was unusual and deformed when viewed under a microscope. ' If we keep this son for a longer time, the iridescent appearance of the nacre layer can be reduced, because the nacre surface becomes different, ' said Hiromichi Nagasawa, a member of the research team. .

Although the discovery of proteins involved in pearl production is an important first step, there is still a lot of work to do to make this a practical benefit. If the exclusion of Pif 80 and Pif 97 stops the production of pearls, the increase in the number of these proteins could boost the production of pearls. This is the ability that scientists are considering. The Japanese pearl manufacturing industry began in the 90s of the 19th century, when Kokichi Mikimoto created the first cultured pearls in the world. However, they are currently facing strong competition from China.