Paramyosin is an important myofibrillar protein in molluscan smooth muscle. The full-length cDNA encoding paramyosin has been identified from Yesso scallop Patinopecten yessoensis. The length of paramyosin molecule has been found to be 3715 bp, which contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 2805 bp for 934 amino acid residues. Characterization of P. yessoensis paramyosin reveals the typical structural feature of coiled-coil protein, including six α-helix (α1-α6) and one coil (η) structures. Multiple phosphorylation sites have been predicted at the N-terminus of paramyosin, representing the unique phosphorylation sites in scallops. The highest levels of mRNA and protein expression of paramyosin have been found in foot and the smooth adductor muscle. According to whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH), strong paramyosin mRNA signals were detected in the symmetric positions of anterior and posterior adductor muscles at late larval stages. These findings support that paramyosin may serve as the most important components for myogenesis and catch regulation in scallops. The present findings will not only help uncover the potential function of myofibrillar proteins in molluscs but also provide molecular evidence to infer evolutionary relationships among invertebrates.
Keywords: gene expression; paramyosin; scallops; smooth adductor muscle; whole-mount in situ hybridization.