Click here to close Hello! We notice that you are using Internet Explorer, which is not supported by Echinobase and may cause the site to display incorrectly. We suggest using a current version of Chrome, FireFox, or Safari.
Echinobase
ECB-ART-36279
Mol Biol Evol 1996 Feb 01;132:397-406. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.molbev.a025598.
Show Gene links Show Anatomy links

Positive selection and sequence rearrangements generate extensive polymorphism in the gamete recognition protein bindin.

Metz EC , Palumbi SR .


Abstract
Bindin is a gamete recognition protein of sea urchins that mediates species-specific attachment of sperm to an egg-surface receptor during fertilization. Sequences of bindin from closely related urchins show fixed species-specific differences. Within species, highly polymorphic bindin alleles result from point substitution, insertion/deletion, and recombination. Since speciation, positive selection favoring allelic variants has generated diversity in bindin polypeptides. Intraspecific bindin variation can be tolerated by the egg receptor, which suggests functional parallels between this system and other flexible recognition systems, including immune recognition. These results show that polymorphism in mate recognition loci required for rapid evolution of sexual isolation can arise within natural populations.

PubMed ID: 8587504
Article link: Mol Biol Evol


Genes referenced: bindin LOC100887844