Chromosome Y News and Research

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The Y chromosome is one of the two sex chromosomes in humans (the other is the X chromosome). The sex chromosomes form one of the 23 pairs of human chromosomes in each cell. The Y chromosome spans about 58 million base pairs (the building blocks of DNA) and represents almost 2 percent of the total DNA in cells.

Each person normally has one pair of sex chromosomes in each cell. The Y chromosome is present in males, who have one X and one Y chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes.

Identifying genes on each chromosome is an active area of genetic research. Because researchers use different approaches to predict the number of genes on each chromosome, the estimated number of genes varies. The Y chromosome likely contains between 70 and 200 genes. Because only males have the Y chromosome, the genes on this chromosome tend to be involved in male sex determination and development. Sex is determined by the SRY gene, which is responsible for the development of a fetus into a male. Other genes on the Y chromosome are important for male fertility.

Many genes are unique to the X or Y chromosome, but genes in an area known as the pseudoautosomal region are present on both chromosomes. As a result, men and women each have two functional copies of these genes. Many genes in the pseudoautosomal region are essential for normal development.

Genes on the Y chromosome are among the estimated 20,000 to 25,000 total genes in the human genome.

A new diagnostic tool for prostate cancer

According to the World Health Organization there are about 250,000 new cases of prostate cancer every year but, when caught in time, the disease has a cure rate of over 90%.

12 Jul 2006

Cell survival depends on chromosome integrity

UCLA researchers report that thousands of genes behave differently in the same organs of males and females - something never detected to this degree.

9 Jul 2006

Discovery of gene mutation gives hope for Down syndrome and Alzheimer's victims

Researchers in the U.S. have discovered a gene mutation that shrivels brain cells which they suspect is responsible for the mental retardation seen in Down syndrome.

6 Jul 2006

FDA grants accelerated approval for Sprycel (dasatinib)

FDA grants accelerated approval for Sprycel (dasatinib), a new oral treatment for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML),

29 Jun 2006

New gene amplification findings could benefit cancer research

Gene amplification plays an important role in causing cancers via activation of oncogenes.

29 Jun 2006

Born gay or made gay? Or is it not that simple?

Born gay or made gay? Or is it not that simple? The nature-versus-nurture debate remains a hot topic in discussions of homosexuality, so the Dana Centre in London is bringing together leading scientists for the first time to reveal their opinions at a one-off evening debate.

27 Jun 2006

Having older brothers a factor in boys becoming gay

New research says that boys have a greater chance of becoming gay if they have older brothers.

27 Jun 2006

Early marker for autism found in the placenta

A team from Yale School of Medicine have found an abnormality in the placenta which could be the first indication of autism and they believe the discovery could lead to a diagnosis of the condition at birth, rather than the standard age of two or older.

27 Jun 2006

Vasectomies create abnormal sperm

Scientists are warning men to freeze some of their sperm before having a vasectomy because the procedure may damage sperm.

22 Jun 2006

New method of testing eggs for abnormalities could solve problems of embryo freezing

Italian researchers have shown for the first time that it is possible to test a woman's egg, before fertilisation, for chromosomal abnormalities that might make an embryo less likely to implant successfully or more likely to miscarry at a later stage.

19 Jun 2006

Common genetic prostate cancer variant identified

Prostate cancer (CaP) is a presumed result of both genetic and environmental events.

19 Jun 2006

New technique will screen embryos for almost 6,000 inherited diseases

A powerful new method of testing embryos for inherited diseases, has been developed by fertility specialists in Britain.

19 Jun 2006

Researchers identify new keys to regulation of bacterial gene expression

The cellular process of transcription, in which the enzyme RNA polymerase constructs chains of RNA from information contained in DNA, depends upon previously underappreciated sections of both the DNA promoter region and RNA polymerase

18 Jun 2006

Discovery of gene behind iron accumulation in brain has implications for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's

Oregon Health & Science University researchers have identified the gene behind a group of rare, progressive childhood disorders caused by an abnormal buildup of iron in the brain.

18 Jun 2006

New leukemia drug gives renewed hope to those battling drug resistance to the disease

New research offers hope for victims of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) battling drug resistance to the disease.

18 Jun 2006

Glivec the best news yet for cancer victims

In what is great news for those suffering from chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML), the drug Glivec looks like being one of the biggest breakthroughs in cancer therapy for a years.

7 Jun 2006

Two specific genes, Wnt4 and Fgf9 fight to determine sexual differentiation

Whether or not a fertilized mammalian egg ultimately develops into a male or female is determined by the winner of a tug of war between two different genes encoding signaling proteins and the divergent pathways they control.

1 Jun 2006

Potential novel treatment strategy for Ewing's sarcoma

Using molecular and cell-based models, researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have refined the picture of how a cancer-promoting protein associated with Ewing's sarcoma functions.

1 Jun 2006

Sperm donor passes rare dangerous disease on to four children

According to a new report in the U.S., a sperm donor may have unwittingly passed an extremely rare and dangerous genetic ailment to five children born to four couples.

22 May 2006

Telomere erosion may lead to shorter life expectancy in men

This new study published in the journal "Cytogenetic and Genome Research" shows significantly shorter telomeres and higher erosion rates in men than in women, which likely causes a shorter life expectancy of male cells and tissues.

17 May 2006