Y chromosome toxicity does not contribute to sex-specific differences in longevity - Archive ouverte HAL
Article Dans Une Revue Nature Ecology & Evolution Année : 2023

Y chromosome toxicity does not contribute to sex-specific differences in longevity

Rénald Delanoue
Charlène Clot
Thomas Pihl
Bruno Hudry

Résumé

Abstract While sex chromosomes carry sex-determining genes, they also often differ from autosomes in size and composition, consisting mainly of silenced heterochromatic repetitive DNA. Even though Y chromosomes show structural heteromorphism, the functional significance of such differences remains elusive. Correlative studies suggest that the amount of Y chromosome heterochromatin might be responsible for several male-specific traits, including sex-specific differences in longevity observed across a wide spectrum of species, including humans. However, experimental models to test this hypothesis have been lacking. Here we use the Drosophila melanogaster Y chromosome to investigate the relevance of sex chromosome heterochromatin in somatic organs in vivo. Using CRISPR–Cas9, we generated a library of Y chromosomes with variable levels of heterochromatin. We show that these different Y chromosomes can disrupt gene silencing in trans , on other chromosomes, by sequestering core components of the heterochromatin machinery. This effect is positively correlated to the level of Y heterochromatin. However, we also find that the ability of the Y chromosome to affect genome-wide heterochromatin does not generate physiological sex differences, including sexual dimorphism in longevity. Instead, we discovered that it is the phenotypic sex, female or male, that controls sex-specific differences in lifespan, rather than the presence of a Y chromosome. Altogether, our findings dismiss the ‘toxic Y’ hypothesis that postulates that the Y chromosome leads to reduced lifespan in XY individuals.
Fichier principal
Vignette du fichier
s41559-023-02089-7 (1).pdf (10.4 Mo) Télécharger le fichier
Origine Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte

Dates et versions

hal-04285604 , version 1 (14-11-2023)

Identifiants

Citer

Rénald Delanoue, Charlène Clot, Chloé Leray, Thomas Pihl, Bruno Hudry. Y chromosome toxicity does not contribute to sex-specific differences in longevity. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2023, 7 (8), pp.1245-1256. ⟨10.1038/s41559-023-02089-7⟩. ⟨hal-04285604⟩
12 Consultations
31 Téléchargements

Altmetric

Partager

More