A mitochondrial orphan protein contributes to sperm development in bivalves
Lineage-specific genes, or orphan genes, are increasingly recognized as important drivers of evolutionary innovation, yet their functional characterization remains largely restricted to nuclear genomes of model organisms. Whether lineage-specific genes encoded by mitochondrial DNA contribute to phenotypic diversification remains virtually unexplored. Here we investigate MORF, a rapidly evolving…
Scientists have discovered that a relatively newly evolved mitochondrial gene plays a role in the development of sperm in certain types of shellfish. This gene, referred to as MORF, is unique to the mitochondrial DNA of bivalves that have a distinct mode of inheritance. By studying the genes and proteins associated with MORF in two different species of bivalves, researchers have identified MORF's location and function in the formation of sperm cells.
MORF is found in both mature sperm cells and those produced during development, as well as within the acrosome of certain species. When the activity of MORF was blocked in cultured bivalve germ cells, there was a higher frequency of sperm cells with four instead of the usual five mitochondria, suggesting that MORF plays a role in the organization of mitochondria during the process of sperm production.
Further investigation revealed that MORF interacts with proteins involved in cell structure and organization, including those related to the cytoskeleton and extracellular matrix. These findings indicate that MORF may contribute to the diversity of species by driving evolutionary change in mitochondrial genes, which has often been overlooked in previous research.
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