A repeating unit of the DYZ1 family on the human Y chromosome consists of segments with partial male-specificity.
An average-sized human Y chromosome contains about 3,000 copies of the repeating DNA family DYZ1. A major repeating unit of the family, pHY10, has been cloned and an entire 3,564-bp sequence has already been determined by Nakahori et al. (1986). In the present study, pHY10 was divided into six consecutive segments, A to F, which were independently amplified by the PCR technique to see if they were strictly male-specific. pHY10 appears to consist of segments of various male-specificity. The B segment was apparently male-specific; however, the use of additional techniques (Southern-blot analysis or second PCR amplification in combination with the standard PCR) revealed homologous sequences in some females. None of the six segments of pHY10 may be male-specific in a strict sense. Different segments appear to be conserved during evolution to different extents. The 323-bp E segment appears to be the least conserved and to be responsible for the generation of most variations within the DYZ1 family.
Nakagome
Y
Y
Department of Congenital Abnormalities Research, National Children's Medical Research Center, Tokyo, Japan.
Nagafuchi
S
S
Seki
S
S
Nakahori
Y
Y
Tamura
T
T
Yamada
M
M
Iwaya
M
M
D001483:Base Sequence; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004247:DNA; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014998:Y Chromosome
D015342:DNA Probes; D004247:DNA