title: Y and W Chromosome Assemblies: Approaches and Discoveries.
abstract: Hundreds of vertebrate genomes have been sequenced and assembled to date. However, most sequencing projects have ignored the sex chromosomes unique to the heterogametic sex - Y and W - that are known as sex-limited chromosomes (SLCs). Indeed, haploid and repetitive Y chromosomes in species with male heterogamety (XY), and W chromosomes in species with female heterogamety (ZW), are difficult to sequence and assemble. Nevertheless, obtaining their sequences is important for understanding the intricacies of vertebrate genome function and evolution. Recent progress has been made towards the adaptation of next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques to deciphering SLC sequences. We review here currently available methodology and results with regard to SLC sequencing and assembly. We focus on vertebrates, but bring in some examples from other taxa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tomaszkiewicz
authors.affiliation: Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Genome Sciences Institute and Center for Medical Genomics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Medvedev
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Genome Sciences Institute and Center for Medical Genomics, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Electronic address: kdm16@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Kateryna D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Makova
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005260:Female; D016678:Genome; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D008297:Male; D012730:Sex Chromosomes / Q000235:genetics*; D019849:Sex Determination Processes; D014998:Y Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*
keywords: W chromosome; Y chromosome; assembly; heterogamety; sex chromosomes; sex determination