Role of recombination and faithfulness to partner in sex chromosome degeneration.

ABSTRACT: Sex determination in mammals is strongly linked to sex chromosomes. In most cases, females possess two copies of X chromosome while males have one X and one Y chromosome. It is assumed that these chromosomes originated from a pair of homologous autosomes, which diverged when recombination between them was suppressed. However, it is still debated why the sex chromosomes stopped recombining and how this process spread out over most part of the chromosomes. To study this problem, we developed a simulation model, in which the recombination rate between the sex chromosomes can freely evolve. We found that the suppression of recombination between the X and Y is spontaneous and proceeds very quickly during the evolution of population, which leads to the degeneration of the Y in males. Interesting

SUBMITTER: Mackiewicz D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5997740 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature