Proteins involved in motility and sperm-egg interaction evolve more rapidly in mouse spermatozoa.

ABSTRACT: Proteomic studies of spermatozoa have identified a large catalog of integral sperm proteins. Rapid evolution of these proteins may underlie adaptive changes of sperm traits involved in different events leading to fertilization, although the selective forces underlying such rapid evolution are not well understood. A variety of selective forces may differentially affect several steps ending in fertilization, thus resulting in a compartmentalized adaptation of sperm proteins. Here we analyzed the evolution of genes associated to various events in the sperm's life, from sperm formation to sperm-egg interaction. Evolutionary analyses were performed on gene sequences from 17 mouse strains whose genomes have been sequenced. Four of these are derived from wild Mus musculus, M. domesticus, M. casta

SUBMITTER: Vicens A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3948348 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature