Sex, sex chromosomes and gene expression
The X chromosome has fewer testis-specific genes than autosomes in many species. This bias is commonly attributed to X inactivation in spermatogenesis but a recent paper in BMC Biology provides evidence against X inactivation in Drosophila and proposes that somatic tissue- and testis- but not ovary-...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Online |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BioMed Central
2011
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| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3087707/ |
| Summary: | The X chromosome has fewer testis-specific genes than autosomes in many species. This bias is commonly attributed to X inactivation in spermatogenesis but a recent paper in BMC Biology provides evidence against X inactivation in Drosophila and proposes that somatic tissue- and testis- but not ovary-specific genes tend not to be located on the X chromosome. Here, we discuss possible mechanisms underlying this bias, including sexual antagonism and dosage compensation. |
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