Abstract
The two sexes have many somatic tissue differences that are due to the action of gonadal secretions. However, the genes encoded on the sex chromosomes might also have the potential to cause sex differences in development and/or function through differential expression of the X and Y homologues. A recent study demonstrates that this latter possibility could be occurring in mice [ 1. Xu J. et al. Sex differences in sex chromosome gene expression in mouse brain. Hum. Mol. Genet. 2002; 11: 1409-1419 Crossref PubMed Google Scholar ]. Using RT–PCR and northern blot analysis, Xu et al. examined the expression of six Y genes and their X-linked homologues (Usp9y/x, Ube1y/x, Smcy/x, Eif2s3y/x, Uty/x, and Dby/x) in the brains of mice at three different stages of development: embryo day 13.5, 1 day postpartum and adult. There was more expression of the X-linked homologues in females than in males, irrespective of their X-inactivation status. Furthermore, the level of expression of the Y homologues for five of these genes was not sufficient in males to compensate for the female bias in X gene expression.
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