Male compatriots sigh with relief: Y chromosome “holds up to the end”

In the course of more than 200 million years of evolution, the Y chromosome has been greatly reduced. As a result, researchers are more accustomed to using the word “useless” to describe it. However, “useless” does not mean that it does not exist, although the sex chromosomes of non mammalian vertebrates have undergone considerable evolutionary changes. A paper published August 6 in the journal genetics trends describes a new theory called the persistent y hypothesis, which explains why the Y chromosome may be more resilient than it was when it first appeared. < / P > < p > “it is generally believed that Y chromosome plays an important role in sex determination and spermatogenesis, so it will not disappear. But if the Y chromosome is transferred to other parts of the genome, it means it’s gone. ” “However, we believe that the future of the Y chromosome is safe because it carries the executioner genes, which are essential for successful male meiosis, and, unlike other genes on the Y chromosome, they are self regulating,” said Paul waters, a professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia < / P > < p > during meiosis, sexually reproducing organisms form haploid gametes (eggs and sperm), and each gamete contains only one copy of each chromosome. They do this through a round of genome replication and two successive rounds of cell division. This meiosis process is strictly controlled to avoid sterility and chromosomal abnormalities. < / P > < p > one step in meiosis requires simultaneous silencing of X and Y chromosomes in a specific window. “Importantly, the Y chromosome has genes that regulate this process, a feature that has been known for many years.” “We believe that carrying these genes protects the Y chromosome from extinction,” said Aurora Ruiz Herrera, a professor and co-author at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain. The gene that regulates the silencing process, ZFY gene, is known as the “executioner” gene. During meiosis, when these genes are activated at the wrong time and location, they are toxic to sperm cells and affect the development of sperm cells. They actually act as judges, jurors and executioners, protecting the Y chromosome from disappearing. ” < / P > < p > with the exception of a few mammals, almost all mammals have Y chromosomes. Understanding of the important contribution of the Y chromosome comes from the study of very few mammals that do not comply with this rule – for example, a small number of rodents. “I’ve always believed that more unusual systems can provide information to other systems.” “Identifying common prerequisites for rare Y chromosome loss enables us to establish hypotheses about how the Y chromosome exists in most species,” waters said During the novel coronavirus pneumonia,

and Waters began to produce fruit with Ruiz-Herrera. “Earlier this year, we filed an application for funding to study X chromosome silencing during meiosis.” “After the lab closed, we decided to write a review of the discussion,” waters said. We don’t know that we’ll accidentally find such an intuitive mechanism to explain why mammalian Y chromosomes exist in most species Next, the researchers plan to further study how the executioner genes evolved, and how they are regulated in terms of evolution and function. < / P > < p > “the mammalian Y chromosome has been seen as a symbol of masculinity, not only in popular culture, but also in the scientific community.” Ruiz Herrera said, “still, many people expect it will eventually disappear as long as there is enough time. However, we believe that the Y chromosome can escape this fate. So our male compatriots can breathe a sigh of relief: y dyeing experience will persist! ”