Evolutionary Genomics Reveals Lineage-Specific Gene Loss and Rapid Evolution of a Sperm-Specific Ion Channel Complex: CatSpers and CatSper beta
Abstract
The mammalian CatSper ion channel family consists of four sperm-specific voltage-gated
Ca2+ channels that are crucial for sperm hyperactivation and male fertility. All four
CatSper subunits are believed to assemble into a heteromultimeric channel complex,
together with an auxiliary subunit, CatSperb. Here, we report a comprehensive comparative
genomics study and evolutionary analysis of CatSpers and CatSperb, with important
correlation to physiological significance of molecular evolution of the CatSper channel
complex. The development of the CatSper channel complex with four CatSpers and CatSperb
originated as early as primitive metazoans such as the Cnidarian Nematostella vectensis.
Comparative genomics revealed extensive lineage-specific gene loss of all four CatSpers
and CatSperb through metazoan evolution, especially in vertebrates. The CatSper channel
complex underwent rapid evolution and functional divergence, while distinct evolutionary
constraints appear to have acted on different domains and specific sites of the four
CatSper genes. These results reveal unique evolutionary characteristics of sperm-specific
Ca2+ channels and their adaptation to sperm biology through metazoan evolution.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/4505Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.1371/journal.pone.0003569Citation
Cai,Xinjiang;Clapham,David E.. 2008. Evolutionary Genomics Reveals Lineage-Specific
Gene Loss and Rapid Evolution of a Sperm-Specific Ion Channel Complex: CatSpers and
CatSper beta. Plos One 3(10): e3569-e3569.
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