The human Y chromosome derives largely from a single autosomal region added to the sex chromosomes 80-130 million years ago.
Mapping of human X-borne genes in distantly related mammals has defined a conserved region shared by the X chromosome in all three extant mammalian groups, plus a region that was recently added to the eutherian X but is still autosomal in marsupials and monotremes. Using comparative mapping of human Y-borne genes, we now directly show that the eutherian Y is also composed of a conserved and an added region which contains most of the ubiquitously expressed Y-borne genes. Little of the ancient conserved region remains, and the human Y chromosome is largely derived from the added region.
Waters
P D
PD
Department of Genetics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. waters@gen.latrobe.edu.au
Duffy
B
B
Frost
C J
CJ
Delbridge
M L
ML
Graves
J A
JA
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008394:Marsupialia / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D013997:Time Factors; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*