Genomes of Ellobius species provide insight into the evolutionary dynamics of mammalian sex chromosomes.

ABSTRACT: The X and Y sex chromosomes of placental mammals show hallmarks of a tumultuous evolutionary past. The X Chromosome has a rich and conserved gene content, while the Y Chromosome has lost most of its genes. In the Transcaucasian mole vole Ellobius lutescens, the Y Chromosome including Sry has been lost, and both females and males have a 17,X diploid karyotype. Similarly, the closely related Ellobius talpinus, has a 54,XX karyotype in both females and males. Here, we report the sequencing and assembly of the E. lutescens and E. talpinus genomes. The results indicate that the loss of the Y Chromosome in E. lutescens and E. talpinus occurred in two independent events. Four functional homologs of mouse Y-Chromosomal genes were detected in both female and male E. lutescens, of which three were a

SUBMITTER: Mulugeta E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5052041 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature