Characterisation of Duplicated Haemoglobin Genes in Bivalves

Haemoglobins (Hbs) are among the most well investigated proteins due to their oxygen carrying capacity. These proteins are found in many different animals where they exhibit extraordinary diversity of form, yet little is known about their distribution, function, and evolution in invertebrate lineages. This study demonstrates that multiple Hb genes are expressed in bivalve molluscs, that some of these duplicated genes show tissue specific expression, and that they may have undergone neofunctionalisation through gene duplication. This study also describes the generation of a comprehensive resource for the bivalve molluscs and the presence of Hb-like encoding genes in these organisms