Sequence Diversity, Locus Structure, and Evolutionary History of the SpTransformer Genes in the Sea Urchin Genome.

ABSTRACT: The generation of large immune gene families is often driven by evolutionary pressure exerted on host genomes by their pathogens, which has been described as the immunological arms race. The SpTransformer (SpTrf) gene family from the California purple sea urchin, Strongylocentrotus purpuratus, is upregulated upon immune challenge and encodes the SpTrf proteins that interact with pathogens during an immune response. Native SpTrf proteins bind both bacteria and yeast, and augment phagocytosis of a marine Vibrio, while a recombinant SpTrf protein (rSpTrf-E1) binds a subset of pathogens and a range of pathogen associated molecular patterns. In the sequenced sea urchin genome, there are four SpTrf gene clusters for a total of 17 genes. Here, we report an in-de

SUBMITTER: Barela Hudgell MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8634487 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature