Document Detail


Male-driven evolution of DNA sequences.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  8469284     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
It is commonly believed that the mutation rate is much higher in the human male germ line than in the female germ line because the number of germ-cell divisions per generation is much larger in males than in females. But direct estimation of mutation rates is difficult, relying mainly on sex-linked genetic diseases, so the ratio (alpha m) of male to female mutation rates is not clear. It has been noted that if alpha m is very large, then the rate of synonymous substitution in X-linked genes should be only 2/3 of that in autosomal genes, and comparison of human and rodent genes supported this prediction. As the number of X-linked genes used in the study was small and the X-linked and autosomal sequences were non-homologous, and given that the synonymous rate varies among genes, we sequenced the last intron (approximately 1 kb) of the Y-linked and X-linked zinc-finger-protein genes (ZFY and ZFX) in humans, orang-utans, baboons and squirrel monkeys. The ratio Y/X of the substitution rate in the Y-linked intron to that in the X-linked intron is approximately 2.3, which is close to that estimated from synonymous rates in the ZFY and ZFX genes and implies alpha m approximately 6. This estimate of alpha m supports the view that the evolution of DNA sequences in higher primates is male-driven. It is, however, much lower than the previous estimate and therefore raises a number of issues.
Authors:
L C Shimmin; B H Chang; W H Li
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Nature     Volume:  362     ISSN:  0028-0836     ISO Abbreviation:  Nature     Publication Date:  1993 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1993-05-11     Completed Date:  1993-05-11     Revised Date:  2007-11-15    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0410462     Medline TA:  Nature     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  745-7     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Center for Demographic and Population Genetics, University of Texas, Houston 77225.
Data Bank Information
Bank Name/Acc. No.:
GENBANK/X58925;  X58926;  X58930;  X58931;  X58932;  X58935;  X58936;  X72698
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Base Sequence
DNA
DNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
Evolution*
Female
Humans
Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors
Male
Molecular Sequence Data
Mutation*
Papio
Pongo pygmaeus
Saimiri
Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
Sex Factors
Transcription Factors
X Chromosome
Y Chromosome
Zinc Fingers / genetics
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/DNA-Binding Proteins; 0/Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; 0/Transcription Factors; 0/ZFY protein, human; 0/zinc finger protein, X-linked; 9007-49-2/DNA

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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