JP4328737B2 - How to cultivate pearls - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for culturing pearls.

  As a method for culturing pearls, a method of transferring a piece obtained from the epithelium of a pearl oyster and a pearl nucleus to the gonad of a mother shell has been adopted for nearly 100 years, and a piece taken from the epithelium is used as the piece. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1). When pieces and pearl nuclei are transferred to mother shells such as pearl oysters in this way, a pearl sack enveloping the pearl nuclei is formed by the epithelial tissue of the epithelium, and the secretion from the epithelial tissue that forms this pearl sack causes A pearl layer of calcium carbonate crystals is formed on the surface of the nucleus, and cultured pearls are obtained.

  As the piece shell, a bivalve such as an pearl oyster shell or a pearl oyster shell is used, and the color and luster that affect the quality of the cultured pearl are determined by the secretion from the epithelial cells of the epithelial tissue forming the pearl bag. For this reason, in order to obtain high-quality cultured pearls, pea shells have been repeatedly crossed between excellent individuals.

JP-A-2004-24062

  As mentioned above, peace shells have been exhausted due to repeated mating between excellent individuals, and in recent years there are fewer lively peace shells, and there is a danger of securing good quality pieces for the future. .

  In addition, the conventional method for culturing pearls using pieces taken from the epithelium of piece shells as pieces is the epithelial tissue of the epithelium, in addition to epithelial cells that produce secretions that form the nacre, muscle cells and mucus. Since cells are included, there is also a problem that the quality of cultured pearls deteriorates.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make it possible to secure a high-quality piece for the future and to further improve the quality of cultured pearls.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a method for culturing pearls in which a piece obtained from an outer membrane of a piece shell and a pearl nucleus are transferred to a mother shell to cultivate a pearl. A pearl collected from another shellfish into an epithelial cell separated from the epithelium tissue of the piece shellfish by using an epithelial cell separated from the epithelium tissue of the piece shellfish using an epithelial cell separated from the epithelium tissue of the piece shellfish. A layer-forming gene is introduced, and a piece of epithelial cells artificially cultured by introducing this nacreous layer-forming gene is carried on a protein component having cell adhesion ability, and the protein component carrying this piece is transferred to the pearl nucleus. The method of applying to the surface was adopted.

  That is, as a piece, by separating epithelial cells from the epithelial tissue of the epithelium and using the separated epithelial cells artificially cultured in vitro, it is possible to secure a good-quality piece for the future, The pieces were made free of extra muscle cells and mucus cells to further enhance the quality of cultured pearls. In addition, since the artificially cultured epithelial cells can be stored frozen, only the necessary amount can be taken out and used as a piece when necessary.

Forming epithelial cells by applying the artificially cultured epithelial cell pieces to a protein component having cell adhesion ability and applying the cell adhesion ability protein component carrying pieces to the surface of the pearl nucleus The yield of cultured pearls can be improved by increasing the adhesion of the formed pieces to the pearl nucleus. As protein components having cell adhesion ability, in addition to commercially available proteins such as collagen and fibronectin, proteins such as MSI60 and N16 contained in the pearl layer of pearl oyster can also be used.

Incidentally, adhesion of the coating and piece protein component of these may precede the transplanted pearl nucleus Hahakai, when performing the shift-fertilized, pearl nuclear protein components and pieces with an injection needle or the like It is recommended to inject into the gonad of the transplanted mother shellfish and apply and attach them to the pearl nucleus.

The epithelial cells isolated from epithelial tissue mantle piece shellfish, by introducing the nacre formation gene taken from another shell, winding cultured pearls, color, it is possible to diversify the gloss or the like. As another shellfish for collecting the nacreous layer formation gene, in addition to the shellfish of a different type from the piece shellfish, the same kind of shellfish can be used, and nacrein, N16, MSI60, N66, etc. Can be mentioned .

  In addition, the gene introduction method includes a gene gun method in which a gene is injected into a cell with a gun, an electroporation method in which a cell membrane is destroyed under a high voltage and a gene is introduced through a gap between the destroyed cell membranes, and a gene is introduced with a syringe. A physical method such as a microinjection method or a chemical method for incorporating a gene into a cell immersed in a solution of calcium phosphate or the like can be used.

  In the method for culturing pearls of the present invention, the epithelial cells are separated from the epithelial tissue of the epithelium as a piece, and the separated epithelial cells are artificially cultured in vitro. The piece can be secured and the piece does not contain extra muscle cells or mucus cells, so that the quality of the cultured pearl can be further enhanced. In addition, since the artificially cultured epithelial cells can be stored frozen, only the necessary amount can be taken out and used as a piece when necessary.

Forming epithelial cells by applying the artificially cultured epithelial cell pieces to a protein component having cell adhesion ability and applying the cell adhesion ability protein component carrying pieces to the surface of the pearl nucleus The yield of cultured pearls can be improved by increasing the adhesion of the formed pieces to the pearl nucleus.

The epithelial cells isolated from epithelial tissue mantle piece shellfish, by introducing the nacre formation gene taken from another shell, winding cultured pearls, color, it is possible to diversify the gloss or the like.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a pearl culture process employing the pearl culture method according to the present invention. First, epithelial tissue of the epithelium is collected from the pearl oyster piece shell (step 1), and only epithelial cells are separated from the epithelial tissue (step 2). After that, a nacreous layer-forming gene collected from another shellfish, a white shellfish, is introduced into the separated epithelial cell by the gene gun method (step 3), and the gene-introduced epithelial cell is artificially cultured in vitro (step 4). . The artificially cultured epithelial cells are stored frozen (Step 5a) and thawed (Step 5b), or pieces are collected as they are (Step 6), and the pieces are treated with cell adhesion ability such as fibronectin. It is made to carry | support to the protein component which has (step 7).

  After that, the protein component carrying the piece was applied to the surface of the separately prepared pearl nucleus, the piece was attached (step 8), and the pearl nucleus to which the piece was attached was separately grown. Transplant to the pearl oyster shell (step 9). After the mother shellfish transplanted with the piece and the pearl nucleus are reared (step 10), they are raised to the beach and the cultured pearl is taken out (step 11).

  2 (a), 2 (b), and 2 (c) schematically show a process in which cultured pearls are formed from the pearl nucleus 3 to which the piece 2 transferred to the mother shell 1 in Step 9 of FIG. 1 is attached. . First, as shown in FIG. 2 (a), when the pearl nucleus 3 to which the artificially cultured epithelial cell piece 2 is attached is transferred to the gonad 1a of the mother shell 1, as shown in FIG. 2 (b). The epithelial cells of piece 2 divide and form a pearl bag 4 that encloses the pearl nucleus 3. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2 (c), a glossy pearl layer 5 is formed on the surface of the pearl nucleus 3 by the secretion from the epithelial cells forming the pearl bag 4, and a cultured pearl is formed.

  In the embodiment described above, both the pearl oyster shell and the mother oyster shell are pearl oyster shells. However, other bivalve shells such as black and white shellfish shells other than pearl oyster shells may be used. It can be a combination of different types of shells, such as a combination of shells and white butterflies.

  In the above-described embodiment, after the piece is supported on the protein component having cell adhesion ability, the protein component is applied to the pearl nucleus before transplantation to attach the piece. It is also possible to apply and adhere to the transferred pearl nucleus, and to apply the protein component and the piece to the pearl nucleus separately.

  Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the shell that collects the nacreous formation gene to be introduced into the epithelial cells of the piece is a white butterfly shell, and this nacreous formation gene is introduced into the epithelial cell by the gene gun method, but the nacreous formation gene is collected. The shells to be used can be the same types of shells as other types of shellfish and piece shells, and other physical methods and chemical methods can also be adopted as gene transfer methods.

Process chart showing a pearl culture process employing the pearl culture method according to the present invention Schematic diagram showing the process in which cultured pearls are formed from the piece and the pearl nucleus transferred in step 9 of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1 mother shell 1a gonad 2 piece 3 pearl nucleus 4 pearl bag 5 pearl layer

Claims (1)

In the method for culturing pearls, in which a piece obtained from the epithelium of a piece shell and a pearl nucleus are transferred to a mother shell to cultivate a pearl, the epithelial cells are separated from the epithelial tissue of the outer membrane as the piece, and this separation is performed. the epithelial cell used after the artificial cultured in vitro were, the epithelial cells isolated from epithelial tissue mantle piece shellfish, introduced nacre formation gene taken from another shell, the nacre formed genes A piece of epithelial cells artificially cultured by introducing a cell is carried on a protein component having cell adhesion ability, and the protein component carrying this piece is applied to the surface of the pearl nucleus. How to grow pearls.

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