Link to bioRxiv paper:
http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2023.03.11.532086v1?rss=1

Authors: Khanal, S., Puente, N., Chandanayaka, R., Assefa, K. Y., Nawras, M., Turner, K., Back, E. D., Royfman, A., Burkett, J., Cheong, S. H., Fisher, H. S., Sindhwani, P., Gray, J., Basappa, R. N., Avidor-Reiss, T.

Abstract:
Centrioles are subcellular organelles with an evolutionarily conserved structure and a shock absorber-like function. In sperm, centrioles are found at the flagellum base and are essential for embryo development in basal animals. Yet, sperm centrioles have evolved diverse forms, sometimes acting like a transmission system, as in cattle, and sometimes becoming dispensable, as in house mice. How the essential sperm centriole evolved to become dispensable in some organisms is unclear. Here, we test the hypothesis that this transition occurred through a cascade of evolutionary changes to the proteins, structure, and function of sperm centrioles and was possibly driven by sperm competition. We found that the last steps in this cascade are associated with a change in the primary structure of the centriolar luminal protein FAM161A in rodents. This information provides the first insight into the molecular mechanisms and adaptive evolution underlying a major evolutionary transition within the internal structure of the mammalian sperm neck.

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