Schlagwort-Archive: y_chromosome

Autosomal inheritance of sex-linked marker

While optimizing the analysis strategy for a 500,000 SNP Affymetrix array set, I found 6 autosomal SNPs that show highly significant sex-dependent allele differences: rs2809868, rs4862188, rs2880301, rs3883011, rs3883013 and rs3883014.


Sure, there could be autosomal marker that influences male/female outcome but there is a more likely explanation: All SNPs have paralogue sequence stretches on the Y chromosome that are co-amplified during PCR. From the initial genotyping results it is most likely that only the Y chromosomal stretch is being mutated in SNP 4, 13 and 15.2.

These SNPs are perfect sex marker, as they include an autosomal control allele (in comparison to pure Y markers like SNPs in SRY). They are always unambiguous (in contrast to pure X marker where only heterocygotes are informative).

They even offer advantage to commercial STR kits of the Amelogenin/Amely gene situated (in the Y parautosomal region) as they would not be affected by excess homologous X chromosomal material as often found in forensic situations. In addition, they might overcome some other weakness of the Amelogenin test where a second assay is usually recommended.

If you will ever see a case-control study that is highlighting any of these SNPs, you can be sure that this study had a distorted male-female ratio between case and controls.

Men r’sponding to women

We know much about the differences between men and women – the X is the default pathway and the Y under the microscope looks as worn down and “misshapen as a stubbed-out cheroot“. There turns out to be something really new. So far all effects of Y genes on sex determination have been attributed to SRY, the testis determining gene (NR0B1, FOXL2 and WNT04 are probably ovary-determining).
The careful analysis of an Italian pedigree now described a new gene that can reversal XX to male when being disrupted: It is R-spondin 1 (or RSPO1), a growth factor that may act through ß-catenin stabilization and synergize with Wnt.
Do you know renember the nice cartoon of the Y chromosome with the HUH? selective hearing loss ;-) it is finally RSPO1. Yea, yea.