Structure and organization of the RBMY genes on the human Y chromosome: transposition and amplification of an ancestral autosomal hnRNPG gene

Genomics. 1998 Apr 15;49(2):283-9. doi: 10.1006/geno.1998.5255.

Abstract

The RBMY (RNA-binding motif, Y chromosome) gene family encodes a germ-cell-specific nuclear protein implicated in spermatogenesis. It consists of approximately 30 genes and pseudogenes, found on both arms of the Y chromosome. RBMY shares high homology with an autosomal hnRNPG gene that contains an RNA-binding motif and one of the four SRGY repeats found in RBMY. One proposal is that RBMY represents an ancestral hnRNPG gene, transposed to the Y chromosome and then amplified. We characterized seven RBMY genes in interval 6 of the Y chromosome long arm. Four have the normal structure with 12 exons spanning 15 kb, whereas one lacks the first 3 exons, therefore representing a pseudogene. The remaining two genes belong to a different subfamily, resembling the autosomal hnRNPG gene with only one SRGY repeat. We also found that most RBMY genes in interval 6 are arranged in tandem. The structure and organization of the Y-linked RBMY genes support the transposition-amplification hypothesis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • DNA Transposable Elements / genetics*
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • Gene Amplification / genetics*
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RNA, Heterogeneous Nuclear / genetics*
  • RNA-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid
  • Ribonucleoproteins / genetics*
  • Y Chromosome / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA Transposable Elements
  • Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • RBMY1A1 protein, human
  • RNA, Heterogeneous Nuclear
  • RNA-Binding Proteins
  • Rbmy protein, mouse
  • Ribonucleoproteins

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AF026563
  • GENBANK/AF026564
  • GENBANK/U36604
  • GENBANK/U36605
  • GENBANK/U36606
  • GENBANK/U36607
  • GENBANK/U36608
  • GENBANK/U36609
  • GENBANK/U36610
  • GENBANK/U36611
  • GENBANK/U36612
  • GENBANK/U36613
  • GENBANK/U36614
  • GENBANK/U36615
  • GENBANK/U36616
  • GENBANK/U36617
  • GENBANK/U36618
  • GENBANK/U36619
  • GENBANK/U36620
  • GENBANK/U36621