Examination of the skeletal proteome of the brittle star Ophiocoma wendtii reveals overall conservation of proteins but variation in spicule matrix proteins.

Background: While formation of mineralized tissue is characteristic of many animal taxa, the proteins that interact with mineral are diverse and appear in many cases to be of independent origin. Extracellular matrix proteins involved in mineralization do share some common features. They tend to be disordered, secreted proteins with repetitive, low complexity.