title: X for intersection: retrotransposition both on and off the X chromosome is more frequent.
abstract: As the heteromorphic sex chromosomes evolved from a pair of autosomes, the sex chromosomes became increasingly different in gene content and structure from each other and from the autosomes. Although recently there has been progress in documenting and understanding these differences, the molecular mechanisms that have fashioned some of these changes remain unclear. A new study addresses the differential distribution of retroposed genes in human and mouse genomes. Surprisingly, chromosome X is a major source and a preferred target for retrotransposition.
authors.affiliation: Genetics and Biochemistry Branch and Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Pavel P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Khil
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: R Daniel
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Camerini-Otero
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements / Q000235:genetics; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005787:Gene Frequency; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014960:X Chromosome; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements