Advances in Y chromosome mapping.
The human Y chromosome has long been recognized as being responsible for sex determination. In fact, it also encodes more than 30 genes and gene families that participate in a variety of cellular functions, including bone development, tooth growth, and spermatogenesis. De-novo deletion of Y chromosome segments that contain spermatogenesis genes occurs frequently, resulting in low sperm production and male infertility. This article reviews our current knowledge of the structure and function of the Y chromosome is reviewed.
Yen
P H
PH
Division of Medical Genetics, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, California 90502-2064, USA. yen@humc.edu
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D017353:Gene Deletion; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D012729:Sex Chromosome Aberrations / Q000235:genetics*; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics