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The Evolution of Sex Chromosomes

1991; American Association for the Advancement of Science; Volume: 251; Issue: 4997 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1126/science.1998119

1095-9203

Brian Charlesworth,

Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities

Structurally distinct sex chromosomes (X and Y) are the most familiar mode of genetic sex determination and have evolved independently in many different taxa. The evolutionary paths by which their characteristic properties may have evolved are reviewed. These properties include the failure of X and Y to recombine through much or all of their length, the genetic inertness of much of the Y chromosome, dosage compensation of the activity of X chromosomal loci, and the accumulation of repeated DNA sequences on the Y chromosome.