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Unlocking the mystery of the human Y chromosome

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Much of the Y chromosome has remained obscure owing to the challenge of sequencing repetitive genomic regions. Recently, the Y chromosome has been fully sequenced, revealing extensive heterochromatic areas and 41 new protein-coding genes. Furthermore, 43 Y chromosomes have been sequenced, showing extensive multi-sample variation and providing promising insights into male infertility.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by NIH Grant R01 DK130991, UE5DK137308 and Clinician Scientist Development Grant from the ACS to R.R.

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Correspondence to Ranjith Ramasamy.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Rojas, M.G., Pozzi, E. & Ramasamy, R. Unlocking the mystery of the human Y chromosome. Nat Rev Urol 21, 65–66 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41585-023-00826-y

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