Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-7282
Authors: Schäfer, Gabriela Giannina
Grebe, Lukas Jörg
Schinkel, Robin
Lieb, Bernhard
Title: The Evolution of Hemocyanin Genes in Caenogastropoda : Gene Duplications and Intron Accumulation in Highly Diverse Gastropods
Online publication date: 4-Jul-2022
Year of first publication: 2021
Language: english
Abstract: Hemocyanin is the oxygen transport protein of most molluscs and represents an important physiological factor that has to be well-adapted to their environments because of the strong influences of abiotic factors on its oxygen affinity. Multiple independent gene duplications and intron gains have been reported for hemocyanin genes of Tectipleura (Heterobranchia) and the caenogastropod species Pomacea canaliculata, which contrast with the uniform gene architectures of hemocyanins in Vetigastropoda. The goal of this study was to analyze hemocyanin gene evolution within the diverse group of Caenogastropoda in more detail. Our findings reveal multiple gene duplications and intron gains and imply that these represent general features of Apogastropoda hemocyanins. Whereas hemocyanin exon–intron structures are identical within different Tectipleura lineages, they differ strongly within Caenogastropoda among phylogenetic groups as well as between paralogous hemocyanin genes of the same species. Thus, intron accumulation took place more gradually within Caenogastropoda but finally led to a similar consequence, namely, a multitude of introns. Since both phenomena occurred independently within Heterobranchia and Caenogastropoda, the results support the hypothesis that introns may contribute to adaptive radiation by offering new opportunities for genetic variability (multiple paralogs that may evolve differently) and regulation (multiple introns). Our study indicates that adaptation of hemocyanin genes may be one of several factors that contributed to the evolution of the large diversity of Apogastropoda. While questions remain, this hypothesis is presented as a starting point for the further study of hemocyanin genes and possible correlations between hemocyanin diversity and adaptive radiation.
DDC: 570 Biowissenschaften
570 Life sciences
Institution: Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
Department: FB 10 Biologie
Place: Mainz
ROR: https://ror.org/023b0x485
DOI: http://doi.org/10.25358/openscience-7282
Version: Published version
Publication type: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
License: CC BY
Information on rights of use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Journal: Journal of molecular evolution
89
Pages or article number: 639
655
Publisher: Springer
Publisher place: Heidelberg u.a.
Issue date: 2021
ISSN: 1432-1432
Publisher DOI: 10.1007/s00239-021-10036-y
Appears in collections:JGU-Publikationen

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