Cloning and identification of a YY-1 homolog as a potential transcription factor from Pinctada fucata

• In this study, the cDNA of Pinctada fucata YY-1 gene was cloned for the first time.
• We reported expression pattern of transcription factor during pearl sac development for the first time.
• We reported the correlation between Pf-YY-1 and matrix protein in pearl sac development.
• Our results suggested that Pf-YY-1 is an important transcription factor in biomineralization regulation.

Biomineralization is an important and ubiquitous process in organisms. The shell formation of mollusks is a typical biomineral physical activity and is used as a canonical model in biomineralization research. Most recent studies focused on the identification of matrix proteins involved in shell formation; however, little is known about their transcriptional regulation mechanism, especially the transcription factors involved in shell formation. In this study, we identified a homolog of the YY-1 transcriptional factor from Pinctada fucata, named Pf-YY-1, and characterized its expression pattern and biological functions. Pf-YY-1 has a typical zinc finger motif highly similar to those in humans, mice, and other higher organisms, which indicated its DNA-binding capability and its function as a transcription factor. Pf-YY-1 is ubiquitously expressed in many tissues, but at a higher level in the mantle, which suggested a role in biomineralization. The expression pattern of Pf-YY-1 during pearl sac development was quite similar to, and was synchronized with, those of Prisilkin-39, ACCBP, and other genes involved in biomineralization, which also suggested its function in biomineralization.