Positive selection in octopus haemocyanin indicates functional links to temperature adaptation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Octopods have successfully colonised the world's oceans from the tropics to the poles. Yet, successful persistence in these habitats has required adaptations of their advanced physiological apparatus to compensate impaired oxygen supply. Their oxygen transporter haemocyanin plays a major role in cold tolerance and accordingly has undergone functional modifications to sustain oxygen release at sub-zero temperatures. However, it remains unknown how molecular properties evolved to explain the observed functional adaptations. We thus aimed to assess whether natural selection affected molecular and structural properties of haemocyanin that explains temperature adaptation in octopods.

Results

Analysis of 239 partial sequences of the haemocyanin functional units (FU) f a

SUBMITTER: Oellermann M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4491423 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature