The Rattlesnake W Chromosome: A GC-Rich Retroelement Refugium with Retained Gene Function Across Ancient Evolutionary Strata.

ABSTRACT: Sex chromosomes diverge after the establishment of recombination suppression, resulting in differential sex-linkage of genes involved in genetic sex determination and dimorphic traits. This process produces systems of male or female heterogamety wherein the Y and W chromosomes are only present in one sex and are often highly degenerated. Sex-limited Y and W chromosomes contain valuable information about the evolutionary transition from autosomes to sex chromosomes, yet detailed characterizations of the structure, composition, and gene content of sex-limited chromosomes are lacking for many species. In this study, we characterize the female-specific W chromosome of the prairie rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis) and evaluate how recombination suppression and other processes have shaped sex chrom

SUBMITTER: Schield DR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9447483 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature