Characterization of the Sperm Molecule Bindin in the Sea Urchin Genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paracentrotus</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Isabel Calderón Xavier Turon H A Lessios |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain;(2) Center for Advanced Studies of Blanes (CEAB, CSIC), Blanes, Girona, Spain;(3) Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama |
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Abstract: | Bindin is a sea urchin gamete-recognition protein that plays an essential role in the specificity of egg–sperm interactions
and thus may be evolving under sexual selection and be related to speciation. Bindin has been found to evolve under strong
selection in some sea urchin genera and neutrally in others. In this study, we characterized bindin in the two extant species
of the genus Paracentrotus: P. lividus from the Atlanto-Mediterranean region and P. gaimardi from Brazil. The structure of the bindin molecule in Paracentrotus is similar to that of other genera studied thus far, consisting of a conserved core flanked by two variable regions and an
intron of variable length located at the same conserved position as in other genera. Polymorphism in P. lividus is caused mainly by point substitutions and insertions/deletions, and length variations are caused mainly by the number of
repeated motifs in the flanking regions. There is no evidence of recombination. Positive selection is acting on amino acid
sites located in two regions flanking the conserved core. |
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Keywords: | Bindin PAML Paracentrotus Positive selection Sea urchins Speciation |
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