Identification of Barnacle Shell Proteins by Transcriptome and Proteomic Approaches

In barnacle shell, the calcified shell layer is laid on top of the epicuticle. Here, we report our strategy and some preliminary results on the identification of potential shell proteins of the barnacle Megabalanus rosa. At first, M. rosa proteins from acid-soluble and acid-insoluble shell extracts were subjected to proteomic analysis and searched against M. rosa complete transcriptome. Then using the information that the calcified shell is formed just after the larval-adult molt, juvenile differentially expressed genes against larval stages were screened. Sixty secretory protein sequences were identified as primary candidates of M. rosa shell proteins, among which 37 are novel proteins.