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Related Experiment Videos

Sea urchin bindin divergence predicts gamete compatibility.

Kirk S Zigler1, Michael A McCartney, Don R Levitan

  • 1Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama. kzigler@sewanee.edu

Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution
|January 7, 2006
PubMed
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Rapid evolution of the sperm protein bindin drives reproductive isolation in sea urchins. As few as 10 amino acid changes can cause gamete incompatibility, evolving in about 1.5 million years.

Area of Science:

  • Marine biology
  • Evolutionary genetics
  • Reproductive biology

Background:

  • Reproductive proteins evolve rapidly, often under positive selection.
  • Molecular evolution in marine invertebrates can be linked to gamete compatibility.
  • The sea urchin sperm protein bindin is key in sperm-egg recognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between bindin divergence and gamete compatibility in sea urchins.
  • To determine the rate at which gamete incompatibility evolves.
  • To assess the predictive power of different genetic divergence measures for reproductive isolation.

Main Methods:

  • Literature survey of five sea urchin genera.
  • Analysis of data on gamete compatibility, bindin divergence (nonsynonymous and synonymous sites), and mitochondrial DNA divergence.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Using mitochondrial divergence as a molecular clock to estimate evolutionary time.

    • Main Results:

    • Nonsynonymous divergence in bindin accurately predicts gamete compatibility.
    • Synonymous divergence in bindin and mitochondrial DNA divergence do not predict gamete compatibility.
    • Complete gamete incompatibility can arise from as few as 10 amino acid changes in bindin.
    • Complete gamete incompatibility can evolve in approximately 1.5 million years.
    • Sister species can maintain compatibility for up to 5 million years.

    Conclusions:

    • Nonsynonymous changes in bindin are the primary driver of reproductive isolation in sea urchins.
    • Bindin evolution, specifically at nonsynonymous sites, is a strong indicator of speciation and reproductive incompatibility.
    • The rapid evolution of bindin allows for swift reproductive isolation, with significant changes occurring over relatively short evolutionary timescales.