title: Evolution of the Sry genes.
abstract: Existing DNA sequence data on the Sry gene, the mammalian sex-determining locus in the Y chromosome, were analyzed for primates, rodents, and bovids. In all three taxonomic groups, the terminal sequences evolved faster than the HMG (high mobility group) boxes, and this applies both to synonymous (Ks) and nonsynonymous (Ka) nucleotide substitutions. Similar intragenic correlation between synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution rates was not found either in other mammalian genes that contain a conservative box (Sox, Msx) or in the MADS-box genes of plants. The rate of nonsynonymous substitutions exceeds significantly that of synonymous substitutions in the terminal Sry sequences of apes. We did not find good support for the hypothesis that the high evolutionary rate of Sry would be associated with a promiscuous mating system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, University of Uppsala, Sweden. pekka.pamilo@genetik.uu.se
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pamilo
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: O'Neill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D010802:Phylogeny; D011323:Primates / Q000235:genetics; D012377:Rodentia / Q000235:genetics; D012418:Ruminants / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; C497745:SRY protein, human; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; D014157:Transcription Factors