title: Marsupial Y chromosome encodes a homologue of the mouse Y-linked candidate spermatogenesis gene Ube1y.
abstract: The mammalian subclass Theria consists of infraclasses Metatheria (marsupials) and Eutheria ('placentals') which diverged from each other 120-150 million years before present (Myr BP). Both infraclasses have Y chromosome-dependent testis determination but direct molecular evidence linking the Metatherian and Eutherian Y chromosomes is lacking. Comparative analyses indicate that three mammalian genes have remained Y-linked for at least 80 Myr, since the divergence of the Eutherian orders from a common ancestor. These are Zfy, a gene encoding a transcription factor of the zinc-finger type; Sry, the putative primary testis-determining gene; and Ube1y (formerly Sby or A1s9Y-1), a candidate for the mouse spermatogenesis gene Spy, encoding a ubiquitin-activating enzyme E1 homologue. Although in marspials Zfy homologues are autosomal, a Y homologue of Sry has recently been isolated. We report here the identification of a functional marsupial Y-linked homologue of the murine Ube1y gene establishing that Metatherian and Eutherian Y chromosomes diverged from a common ancestor. This extreme conservation indicates that Ube1y plays a critical role in male development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Tennessee, Memphis.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Bishop
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D004247:DNA