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J Mol Evol

Title:		Evolution of the ABPA subunit of androgen-binding protein expressed in the submaxillary glands in New and Old World rodent taxa
Author(s):		Vandewege MW; Phillips CJ; Wickliffe JK; Hoffmann FG;
Address:		"Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA"
Journal Title:		J Mol Evol
Year:		2013
Volume:		20130501
Issue:		5
Page Number:		324 - 331
DOI:		10.1007/s00239-013-9561-4
ISSN/ISBN:		1432-1432 (Electronic) 0022-2844 (Linking)
Abstract:		"The salivary androgen-binding proteins (ABPs) are members of the secretoglobin gene family present in mammals. Each ABP is a heterodimer assembled as an ABPA subunit encoded by an Abpa gene and linked by disulfide bridges to an ABPBG subunit encoded by an Abpbg gene. The ABP dimers are secreted into the saliva of mice and then transferred to the pelage after grooming and subsequently to the environment allowing an animal to mark territory with a biochemical signal. The putative role of the mouse salivary ABPs is that of pheromones mediating mate selection resulting in assortative mating in the Mus musculus species complex. We focused on comparing patterns of molecular evolution between the Abpa genes expressed in the submaxillary glands of species of New World and Old World muroids. We found that in both sets of rodents the Abpa genes expressed in the submaxillary glands appear to be evolving under a similar evolutionary regime, with relatively high nonsynonymous substitution rates, suggesting that ABP might play a similar biological role in both systems. Thus, ABP could be involved with mate recognition and species isolation in New World as well as Old World muroids"
Keywords:		"Amino Acid Substitution Androgen-Binding Protein/classification/*genetics Animals *Evolution, Molecular Female Genetic Speciation Male Mating Preference, Animal Mice *Phylogeny Protein Multimerization Protein Subunits/classification/*genetics Rodentia/cla;"
Notes:		"MedlineVandewege, Michael W Phillips, Carleton J Wickliffe, Jeffrey K Hoffmann, Federico G eng Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Germany 2013/05/03 J Mol Evol. 2013 May; 76(5):324-31. doi: 10.1007/s00239-013-9561-4. Epub 2013 May 1"