New Genes in the <i>Drosophila</i> Y Chromosome: Lessons from <i>D. willistoni</i>
Y chromosomes play important roles in sex determination and male fertility. In several groups (e.g., mammals) there is strong evidence that they evolved through gene loss from a common X-Y ancestor, but in <i>Drosophila</i> the acquisition of new genes plays a major role. This conclusion...
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| Autores principales: | , , |
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| Formato: | article |
| Lenguaje: | EN |
| Publicado: |
MDPI AG
2021
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://doaj.org/article/635e4c73db424db5a2da2d785fd1bd39 |
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| Sumario: | Y chromosomes play important roles in sex determination and male fertility. In several groups (e.g., mammals) there is strong evidence that they evolved through gene loss from a common X-Y ancestor, but in <i>Drosophila</i> the acquisition of new genes plays a major role. This conclusion came mostly from studies in two species. Here we report the identification of the 22 Y-linked genes in <i>D. willistoni</i>. They all fit the previously observed pattern of autosomal or X-linked testis-specific genes that duplicated to the Y. The ratio of gene gains to gene losses is ~25 in <i>D. willistoni</i>, confirming the prominent role of gene gains in the evolution of <i>Drosophila</i> Y chromosomes. We also found four large segmental duplications (ranging from 62 kb to 303 kb) from autosomal regions to the Y, containing ~58 genes. All but four of these duplicated genes became pseudogenes in the Y or disappeared. In the <i>GK20609</i> gene the Y-linked copy remained functional, whereas its original autosomal copy degenerated, demonstrating how autosomal genes are transferred to the Y chromosome. Since the segmental duplication that carried <i>GK20609</i> contained six other testis-specific genes, it seems that chance plays a significant role in the acquisition of new genes by the <i>Drosophila</i> Y chromosome. |
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