在一个用小鼠所做的研究中,Yasuhiro Yamauchi及其同事证明,只需要2个Y染色体基因就能够产生一个不成熟的精子细胞,它可成功地使卵子受精并产生可存活后代。
这些小鼠是通过一种将其直接注射到卵细胞内的辅助生殖技术而受孕的,而其成功受精的比率是低下的。这2个基因——Sry和Eif2s3y可分别在哺乳动物中指示性器官变成雄性及驱动精子细胞的增殖。
尽管文章的作者谨慎地提出,该研究对人类生育没有任何直接的意义,但它可能对需要有不同的基因来维持正常的精子功能有所阐释。(生物谷Bioon.com)
生物谷推荐的英文摘要
Science DOI: 10.1126/science.1242544
Two Y Genes Can replace the Entire Y Chromosome for Assisted Reproduction in the Mouse
Yasuhiro Yamauchi, Jonathan M. Riel, Zoia Stoytcheva, Monika A. Ward*
The Y chromosome is thought to be important for male reproduction. We have previously shown that, with the use of assisted reproduction, live offspring can be obtained from mice lacking the entire Y chromosome long arm. Here, we demonstrate that live mouse progeny can also be generated by using germ cells from males with the Y chromosome contribution limited to only two genes, the testis determinant factor Sry and the spermatogonial proliferation factor Eif2s3y. Sry is believed to function primarily in sex determination during fetal life. Eif2s3y may be the only Y chromosome gene required to drive mouse spermatogenesis, allowing formation of haploid germ cells that are functional in assisted reproduction. Our findings are relevant, but not directly translatable, to human male infertility cases.