Intron analyses reveal multiple calmodulin copies in Littorina

Intron 3 and the flanking exons of the calmodulin gene have been amplified, cloned, and sequenced from 18 members of the gastropod genus Littorina. From the 48 sequences, at least five different gene copies have been identified and their functionality characterized using a strategy based upon the potential protein product predicted from flanking exon data. The functionality analyses suggest that four of the genes code for functional copies of calmodulin. All five copies have been identified across a wide range of littorinid species although not ubiquitously. Using this novel approach based on intron sequences, we have identified an unprecedented number of potential calmodulin copies in Littorina, exceeding that reported for any other invertebrate. This suggests a higher number of, and more ancient, gene duplications than previously detected in a single genus.