title: Evolutionary interaction between W/Y chromosome and transposable elements.
abstract: The W/Y chromosome is unique among chromosomes as it does not recombine in its mature form. The main side effect of cessation of recombination is evolutionary instability and degeneration of the W/Y chromosome, or frequent W/Y chromosome turnovers. Another important feature of W/Y chromosome degeneration is transposable element (TEs) accumulation. Transposon accumulation has been confirmed for all W/Y chromosomes that have been sequenced so far. Models of W/Y chromosome instability include the assemblage of deleterious mutations in protein coding genes, but do not include the influence of transposable elements that are accumulated gradually in the non-recombining genome. The multiple roles of genomic TEs, and the interactions between retrotransposons and genome defense proteins are currently being studied intensively. Small RNAs originating from retrotransposon transcripts appear to be, in some cases, the only mediators of W/Y chromosome function. Based on the review of the most recent publications, we present knowledge on W/Y evolution in relation to retrotransposable element accumulation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland. sliwinska@iop.krakow.pl.|Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland. sliwinska@iop.krakow.pl.
authors.forename: Ewa B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Śliwińska
authors.affiliation: Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Mickiewicza 33, 31-120, Kraków, Poland.
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martyka
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tryjanowski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004251:DNA Transposable Elements; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D015894:Genome, Human; D042822:Genomic Instability; D023281:Genomics; D006801:Humans; D012730:Sex Chromosomes; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D004251:DNA Transposable Elements
keywords: Genome defense; Non-recombining chromosome; PIWI proteins; Transposable elements; Y chromosome; piRNA