生物谷報道：隨著人類基因精確測序的完成,，并不象以前想象那樣,，人類的基因組便真相大白；相反,，信息量越豐富時,，反而遇到越來越多的問題和一些難以解釋的現(xiàn)象。如先前的報道中基因組中的垃圾（如內(nèi)含子）發(fā)現(xiàn)了許多重要的基因,，表明人類的基因組具有高度的復雜性,。而有關(guān)Y染色體的研究最近十分熱門，不僅發(fā)現(xiàn)Y染色體不象以前爭議的那樣,，Y染色體會隨著進化,，慢慢消失（因為Y染色體上的基因十分有限，大量基因在進化過程中退化了）,，但Y染色體的多態(tài)性十分復雜,。同時在一些與人類高等生物相差甚遠的動植物體內(nèi)也發(fā)現(xiàn)了類似Y染色體,，這更令人疑惑，Y染色體真的還具有其它的功能呢,？
Y染色體對決定人類雄性性別起到關(guān)鍵作用,，它的序列具有重復性，因而很難形成序列,。剛剛發(fā)表的一篇報道令人吃驚,，研究發(fā)現(xiàn)許多未知的區(qū)域，這個區(qū)域有八個序列是新的基因,！表明,，在Y染色體中含有隱藏序列，這些特殊序列決定人類的身高及和健康情況,！這一發(fā)現(xiàn),，打破了Y染色體經(jīng)常被人認為是含有相對較少的遺傳信息，而且最近的研究認為它可能比預測的功能要多,。
There's more to the Y chromosome than we thought.
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Y chromosome reveals hidden sequence
Roxanne Khamsi
Extra genes may determine men's height and health.
The Y chromosome is often viewed as relatively empty of genetic information, but a recent analysis suggests it could have a more important function than many suspected.
The chromosome plays a crucial role in determining male sex in humans. The DNA that makes up the chromosome is highly repetitive, making it very difficult to sequence. But in June 2003, researchers in the United States announced that they had done so, and had found 78 genes, including several involved in sperm production.
Now, however, scientists at the University of Heidelberg in Germany have given it another go and found a region of the chromosome that originally went undetected.
When they initially compared the physical map of the chromosome with the cloned sequence, the sequence didn't seem to be long enough, explains team member Gudrun Rappold. "So we took the effort to sort out what was going on."
Uncharted territory
The new section spans just over half a million base pairs of DNA. "I was very surprised," says Rappold. "That's about 2% of the chromosome that was not detected before." Her team reports the result in Genome Research.
The region contains eight sequences that appear to be new genes. "We have to check if they are functional," cautions Rappold. But after comparing these sequences with others, she speculates that they may be involved in determining men's height, and may also provide clues about cancers of male sex organs.
