Deer Mice Y Chromosome Gains Phf8y Gene Family, Defying Long-Held Loss-Only Model
Updated
Updated · Earth.com · Jun 9
Deer Mice Y Chromosome Gains Phf8y Gene Family, Defying Long-Held Loss-Only Model
2 articles · Updated · Earth.com · Jun 9
Summary
Ivan F. Mier’s team found that deer mice carry a new Y-chromosome gene family, Phf8y, the first reported case of a gene completing a move onto the Y and then multiplying there.
Phf8y began as the X-linked gene Phf8, appears to have copied through an autosome, and likely used mobile “jumping gene” machinery to land on the Y before duplicating repeatedly.
The finding challenges the standard view that mammalian Y chromosomes only lose genes over time because they lack a full recombining partner and accumulate damage.
Researchers can see Phf8y switch on in developing sperm, though its exact function remains unclear; they suspect it may help pack DNA during sperm maturation and possibly affect Y-bearing sperm competitiveness.
Published in Current Biology, the study suggests Y chromosomes can still acquire functional genetic material, reshaping ideas about male fertility and how sex ratios stay near 50-50.
Can we harness the Y chromosome's 'gene-stealing' ability to create revolutionary new gene therapies?
Is the human Y chromosome secretly rebuilding itself after millions of years of withering away?
Breakthrough in Y Chromosome Genetics: Phf8y Gene Family Acquisition Reshapes Understanding of Sex Chromosome Evolution
Overview
A recent discovery by University of Michigan researchers has overturned the long-held belief that the mammalian Y chromosome is a genetic dead end. They found that the Y chromosome can acquire and amplify entirely new gene families, as shown by the unexpected appearance of the Phf8y gene family in deer mice. This gene family originated through a rare event where mobile genetic elements, usually dormant, became active and enabled the gene to copy itself onto the Y chromosome. This finding reveals that the Y chromosome is more dynamic and innovative than previously thought, reshaping our understanding of its evolutionary potential.