Robert C. Karn, PhD

Research Professor, Department of Medicine, University of Arizona

Professor Emeritus, Department of Biological Sciences, Butler University

E-Mail Address: 
rkarn@butler.edu
Phone Number: 
(520) 626-5845
Research Information
Selected Publications: 

Karn R.C., Laukaitis C.M. (2012) The roles of gene duplication, gene conversion and positive selection in rodent Esp and Mup pheromone gene familes with comparision to the Abp family. PloS One.0047697

Laukaitis C. and Karn R.C. 2012. Recognition of subspecies status mediated by androgen-binding protein (ABP) in the evolution of incipient reinforcement on the European house mouse hybrid zone. In: Macholan M, Munclinger P, Baird SJ, Pialek J, eds. Evolution of the House Mouse, Published by Cambridge University Press 2012

Laukaitis, C.M., Mauss, C. and Karn, R.C.  2012.  Congenic strain analysis reveals genes that are rapidly evolving components of a prezygotic isolation mechanism mediating incipient reinforcement.  PLoS One, April 2012 | Volume 7 | Issue 4 | e35898

Zhou, X. Wei, Y, Xie, F. Laukaitis, C.M., Karn, R.C., Kluetzman, K., Gu, J.,  Zhang, Q.Y., Roberts, D.W. and Ding, X.  2011.  A novel defensive mechanism against acetaminophen toxicity in the mouse lateral nasal gland: role of CYP2A5-mediated regulation of testosterone homeostasis and salivary androgen-binding protein expression. Mol. Pharmacol. 79:710–723.

Vošlajerova Bi´mova,B., Macholan, M., Baird, S.J.E., Munclinger M. Dufkova, P., Laukaitis, C.M., KARN, R.C., Luzynski, K. Tucker, P., and Pialek, J. 2011. Reinforcement selection acting on the European house mouse hybrid zone.  Mol. Ecol. 20, 2403–2424.

Karn, R. C. and Laukaitis, C. M. 2011.  Positive selection shaped the convergent evolution of independently expanded kallikrein subfamilies expressed in mouse and rat saliva proteomes.  PLoS One, June 2011 | Volume 6 | Issue 6 | e20979.

Karn, R.C., Young, J.M. and Laukaitis, C.M. 2010. A candidate subspecies discrimination system involving a vomeronasal receptor gene with different alleles fixed in M. m. domesticus and M. m. musculus.  PLoS One, September 2010 | Volume 5 | Issue 9 | e12638.

Karn, R.C. and Laukaitis, C.M. 2009. Gene duplication and evolution in a volatile region of the mouse (Mus musculus) genome.  Gen. Biol. and Evol. 1:1-10

Dean, M.D., Clark, N.L., Findlay, G.D., Karn, R.C., Yi, X., Swanson, W.J., MacCoss, M.J. and Nachman, M.W.  2009.  Proteomics and comparative genomic investigations reveal heterogeneity in evolutionary rate of male reproductive proteins in mice (Mus domesticus).  Mol. Biol. Evol. 26:1733–1743.

Laukaitis, C.M., Heger, A., Blakley, T.D., Munclinger, P., Ponting, C.P. and Karn, R.C.:  2008.  Rapid bursts of androgen-binding protein (Abp) gene duplication occurred independently in diverse mammals. BMC Evol. Biol. 8:46.

Karn, R.C., Clark, N.L., Nguyen, E.D. and Swanson, W.J.  2008.  Adaptive evolution in rodent seminal vesicle secretion proteins.  Mol. Biol. Evol. 25:2301–2310.

Laukaitis, C.M., Dlouhy, S.R., Emes R.D., Ponting C.P.and Karn, R.C.: 2005.  Diverse spatial, temporal, and sexual expression of recently duplicated androgen-binding protein genes in Mus musculus.  BMC Evol. Biol. 5:40

Bimova, B., Karn, R.C. and Pialek, J.:  2005.  The role of salivary androgen-binding protein in reproductive isolation between two subspecies of house mouse.  Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 84:349-361.

Laukaitis, C.M. and Karn, R.C.:  2005.  Evolution of the secretoglobins:  A genomic and proteomic view.  Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 84:493-501.

Dod, B., Smadja, C., Karn, R.C. and Boursot, P.  2005.  Testing for selection on the Androgen-Binding Protein in the Danish mouse hybrid zone.  Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 84:447-459.

Emes R.D., Riley M.C., Laukaitis C.M., Goodstadt L., Karn R.C., and Ponting C.P. 2004. Comparative evolutionary genomics of androgen-binding protein genes. Genome Research 14:1516-1529.

Laukaitis, C.M., Dlouhy, S.R. and Karn, R.C. 2003.  The mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP) gene cluster on Chromosome 7:  Characterization and evolutionary relationships.  Mammalian Genome 14, 679–691.

Karn, R.C. and Laukaitis, C.M.  2003.  Characterization of two forms of mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP):  Implications for evolutionary relationships and ligand-binding function.  Biochemistry 42:7162-7170.

Karn, R.C., Orth, A., Bonhomme, F. and Boursot, P.  2002.  The Complex History of a Gene Proposed to Participate in a Sexual Isolation Mechanism in House Mice Mol. Biol. Evol. 19:462-471.

Talley, H.M., Laukaitis, C.M. and Karn, R.C.  2001.  Female preference for male saliva:  Implications for sexual isolation of Mus musculus subspecies.  Evolution 55:631-634.

Karn, R.C. and Nachman, M.W.  1999.  Reduced nucleotide variability at an androgen-binding protein locus (Abpa) in house mice; evidence for positive selection.  Mol. Biol. Evol.  16:1192-1197.

Karn, R.C. and Clements, M.A.  1999.  A comparison of the structures of the Alpha:Beta and Alpha:Gamma dimers of mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP) and their differential steroid binding by. Biochem. Genet. 37:187-199.

Karn, R.C.  1998.  Steroid binding by mouse salivary proteins.  Biochem. Genet.  36:105-117.

Laukaitis, C.M., Critser, E.S. and Karn, R.C.  l997.  Salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP) mediates sexual isolation in Mus musculus.  Evolution 51:1998-2003.

Hwang, J.H., Hofstetter, J.R., Bonhomme, F. and Karn, R.C. l997.  The microevolution of mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP) paralleled subspeciation of Mus musculus.  J. Heredity. 88:93-97.

Karn, R.C. l994.  The mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP) Alpha subunit closely resembles chain l of the cat allergen Fel dl. Biochem. Genet. 32:271-277.

Karn, R.C. and Russell, R. 1993.  The amino acid sequence of the Alpha subunit of mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (ABP), with a comparison to the partial sequence of the Beta subunit and to other ligand-binding proteins.  Biochem. Genet. 31:307-319.

Karn, R.C. and Dlouhy, S.R. 1991. Salivary androgen-binding protein variation in Mus and other rodents. J. Heredity 82:453-458.

Dlouhy, S.R., Taylor, B.A. and Karn, R.C.  1987.  The genes for mouse salivary androgen-binding protein (Abp) subunits alpha and gamma are located on chromosome 7.  Genetics 115:535-543.

Bio sketch: 
application/pdf icon2012 CV without publications.pdf
Academic Information
Doctorate: 
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Master's Degree: 
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Undergraduate School: 
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN