The mouse Y* chromosome involves a complex rearrangement, including interstitial positioning of the pseudoautosomal region

Cytogenet Cell Genet. 1991;57(4):221-30. doi: 10.1159/000133152.

Abstract

Cytological analysis of the mouse Y* chromosome revealed a complex rearrangement involving acquisition of a functional centromere and centromeric heterochromatin and attachment of this chromosomal segment to the distal end of a normal Y* chromosome. This rearrangement positioned the Y* short-arm region at the distal end of the Y* chromosome and the pseudoautosomal region interstitially, just distal to the newly acquired centromere. In addition, the majority of the pseudoautosomal region was inverted. Recombination between the X and the Y* chromosomes generates two new sex chromosomes: (1) a large chromosome comprised of the X chromosome attached at its distal end to all of the Y* chromosome but missing the centromeric region (XY*) and (2) a small chromosome containing the centromeric portion of the Y* chromosome attached to G-band-negative material from the X chromosome (YX). Mice that inherit the XY* chromosome develop as sterile males, whereas mice that inherit the Y*X chromosome develop as fertile females. Recovery of equal numbers of recombinant and nonrecombinant offspring from XY* males supports the hypothesis that recombination between the mammalian X and Y chromosomes is necessary for primary spermatocytes to successfully complete spermatogenesis and form functional sperm.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Blotting, Southern
  • Centromere
  • Female
  • Fertility / genetics
  • Fluorescence
  • Heterochromatin
  • Karyotyping
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Mitosis / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nucleic Acid Hybridization
  • Recombination, Genetic / genetics*
  • Sex Chromosome Aberrations / genetics*
  • X Chromosome
  • Y Chromosome*

Substances

  • Heterochromatin