Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33663373›Full record

ArticleBMC ecology and evolution2021

The evolution of hemocyanin genes in Tectipleura: a multitude of conserved introns in highly diverse gastropods.

Gabriela Giannina Schäfer, Veronika Pedrini-Martha, Daniel John Jackson, Reinhard Dallinger, Bernhard Lieb

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC ecology and evolution, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 51% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Gabriela Giannina SchäferInstitute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 7, 55128, Mainz, Germany. schaefga@uni-mainz.de.ORCID 0000-0002-5214-9830
Veronika Pedrini-MarthaInstitute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Daniel John JacksonDepartment of Geobiology, Georg-August-University of Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 3, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
Reinhard DallingerInstitute of Zoology and Center of Molecular Biosciences, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Bernhard LiebInstitute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becher-Weg 7, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz · DEUniversität Innsbruck · ATUniversity of Göttingen · DE

Funding

Austrian Science Fund FWF I 3032
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHemocyanin is the oxygen transporter of most molluscs. Since the oxygen affinity of hemocyanin is strongly temperature-dependent, this essential protein needs to be well-adapted to the environment. In Tectipleura, a very diverse group of gastropods with > 27,000 species living in all kinds of habitats, several hemocyanin genes have already been analyzed. Multiple independent duplications of this gene have been identified and may represent potential adaptations to different environments and lifestyles. The aim of this study is to further explore the evolution of these genes by analyzing their exon-intron architectures.

resultsWe have reconstructed the gene architectures of ten hemocyanin genes from four Tectipleura species: Aplysia californica, Lymnaea stagnalis, Cornu aspersum and Helix pomatia. Their hemocyanin genes each contain 53 introns, significantly more than in the hemocyanin genes of Cephalopoda (9-11), Vetigastropoda (15) and Caenogastropoda (28-33). The gene structures of Tectipleura hemocyanins are identical in terms of intron number and location, with the exception of one out of two hemocyanin genes of L. stagnalis that comprises one additional intron. We found that gene structures that differ between molluscan lineages most probably evolved more recently through independent intron gains.

conclusionsThe strict conservation of the large number of introns in Tectipleura hemocyanin genes over 200 million years suggests the influence of a selective pressure on this gene structure. While we could not identify conserved sequence motifs within these introns, it may be simply the great number of introns that offers increased possibilities of gene regulation relative to hemocyanin genes with less introns and thus may have facilitated habitat shifts and speciation events. This hypothesis is supported by the relatively high number of introns within the hemocyanin genes of Pomacea canaliculata that has evolved independently of the Tectipleura. Pomacea canaliculata belongs to the Caenogastropoda, the sister group of Heterobranchia (that encompass Tectipleura) which is also very diverse and comprises species living in different habitats. Our findings provide a hint to some of the molecular mechanisms that may have supported the spectacular radiation of one of Metazoa's most species rich groups.

Indexed as

GastropodaHemocyaninsAnimalsEvolution, MolecularIntronsMolluscaHemocyaninsAdaptationEvolutionGene structureHabitat shiftHemocyaninHeterobranchiaIntronIntron gainMolluscaTectipleura

Identifiers

PMID33663373
PMCPMC7931591
OpenAlexW3134975362

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.