Dynamic sex chromosome expression in Drosophila male germ cells

Sharvani Mahadevaraju, Justin M. Fear, Miriam Akeju, Brian J. Galletta, Mara M. L. S. Pinheiro, Camila C. Avelino, Diogo C. Cabral- de-Mello, Katie Conlon, Stafania Dell’Orso, Zelalem Demere, Kush Mansuria, Carolina A. Mendonça, Octavio M. Palacios-Gimenez, Eli Ross, Max Savery, Kevin Yu, Harold E. Smith, Vittorio Sartorelli, Haiwang Yang, Nasser M. Rusan, Maria D. Vibranovski, Erika Matunis and Brian Oliver ()
Additional contact information
Sharvani Mahadevaraju: National Institutes of Health
Justin M. Fear: National Institutes of Health
Miriam Akeju: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Brian J. Galletta: Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
Mara M. L. S. Pinheiro: University of São Paulo
Camila C. Avelino: University of São Paulo
Diogo C. Cabral- de-Mello: UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro
Katie Conlon: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Stafania Dell’Orso: National Institutes of Health
Zelalem Demere: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Kush Mansuria: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Carolina A. Mendonça: University of São Paulo
Octavio M. Palacios-Gimenez: University of São Paulo
Eli Ross: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Max Savery: National Institutes of Health
Kevin Yu: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Harold E. Smith: National Institutes of Health
Vittorio Sartorelli: National Institutes of Health
Haiwang Yang: National Institutes of Health
Nasser M. Rusan: Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health
Maria D. Vibranovski: University of São Paulo
Erika Matunis: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Brian Oliver: National Institutes of Health

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Given their copy number differences and unique modes of inheritance, the evolved gene content and expression of sex chromosomes is unusual. In many organisms the X and Y chromosomes are inactivated in spermatocytes, possibly as a defense mechanism against insertions into unpaired chromatin. In addition to current sex chromosomes, Drosophila has a small gene-poor X-chromosome relic (4th) that re-acquired autosomal status. Here we use single cell RNA-Seq on fly larvae to demonstrate that the single X and pair of 4th chromosomes are specifically inactivated in primary spermatocytes, based on measuring all genes or a set of broadly expressed genes in testis we identified. In contrast, genes on the single Y chromosome become maximally active in primary spermatocytes. Reduced X transcript levels are due to failed activation of RNA-Polymerase-II by phosphorylation of Serine 2 and 5.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-20897-y

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