Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 2, 2026
10:23
Analysis of Epididymal Protein Synthesis and Secretion
Published on: August 25, 2018
Adaptive evolution in rodent seminal vesicle secretion proteins.
Robert C Karn1, Nathaniel L Clark, Eric D Nguyen
1Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA. rkarn@u.washington.edu
Molecular Biology and Evolution
|August 23, 2008
Summary
Reproductive proteins evolve rapidly due to positive selection. Researchers found that seminal vesicle secretion 7 (Svs7) rapidly evolved in rodents and primates, suggesting a key role in sperm competition.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
- Reproductive biology
Background:
- Reproductive fitness proteins exhibit rapid evolution and high amino acid substitution rates, indicating positive selection.
- Seminal fluid proteins are crucial for sperm competition, immune response, and influencing female reproductive physiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify seminal fluid proteins undergoing adaptive evolution.
- Investigate the evolutionary rates of mouse prostate transcriptome genes.
- Characterize seminal vesicle secretion (Svs) proteins, particularly Svs7 and Svs5.
Main Methods:
- Performed an evolutionary screen of the mouse prostate transcriptome comparing mouse and rat.
- Analyzed evolutionary rates of secreted vs. non-secreted rodent prostate proteins.
- Utilized three-dimensional models to analyze protein regions under selection in rodents and primates.
Main Results:
- Secreted rodent prostate proteins evolve twice as fast as non-secreted ones.
- Identified Svs7 as a rapidly evolving gene with sites under positive selection.
- Found Svs7 under selection in both rodents and primates, with conserved regions under positive selection.
Conclusions:
- Svs7, identified as mouse caltrin, plays a role in sperm capacitation.
- The rapid adaptive evolution of Svs7 in rodents and primates likely stems from its function in sperm competition.
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