Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fertile male mice with three sex chromosomes: Evidence that infertility in XYY male mice is an effect of two Y chromosomes

  • Published:
Chromosoma Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the mouse XYY males are sterile, presumably because pairing abnormalities resulting from the presence of three sex chromosomes lead to meiotic breakdown. We have produced male mice, designated XYY*X, that have three sex chromosome pairing regions but only one intact Y chromosome. Unexpectedly XYY*X males are fertile, although they are no more efficient in sex chromosome pairing than previously reported XYY males. We conclude that the sterility of XYY males is caused by a combination of the deleterious effect of two Y chromosomes, presumably acting prior to meiosis, and pairing abnormalities resulting in significant meiotic disruption.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Benet J, Martin RH (1988) Sperm chromosome complements in a 47, XYY man. Hum Genet 78: 313–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond DJ, Chandley AC (1983) Aneuploidy. Oxford monographs on medical genetics, no. 11. Oxford University Press

  • Burgoyne PS (1979) Evidence for an association between univalent Y chromosomes and spermatocyte loss in XYY mice and men. Cytogenet Cell Genet 23: 84–89

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgoyne PS, Biddle FG (1980) Spermatocyte loss in XYY mice. Cytogenet Cell Genet 28: 143–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Cattanach BM, Pollard CE (1969) An XYY sex-chromosome constitution in the mouse. Cytogenetics 8: 80–86

    Google Scholar 

  • Das RK, Behera AK (1984) A 39, X/40, XY/41, XYY mosaic male mouse. Cytogenet Cell Genet 38: 138–141

    Google Scholar 

  • Das RK, Kar RN (1981) A 41, XYY mouse. Experientia 37: 821–822

    Google Scholar 

  • Davisson MT, Akeson EC (1987) An improved method for preparing G-banded chromosomes from mouse peripheral blood. Cytogenet Cell Genet 45: 70–74

    Google Scholar 

  • De Boer P (1986) Chromosomal causes for fertility reduction in mammals. In: Serres FJ (ed) Chemical mutagens, vol 10. Plenum Press, New York, pp 427–467

    Google Scholar 

  • Eicher EM (1982) Primary sex determining genes in mice. In: Amann RP, Seidel GE (eds) Prospects for sexing mammalian sperm. Colorado Assoc Univ Press, Boulder, pp 121–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Eicher EM, Washburn LL (1978) Assignment of genes to regions of mouse chromosomes. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 75: 946–950

    Google Scholar 

  • Eicher EM, Hale DW, Hunt PA, Lee BK, Tucker PK, King TR, Eppig JT, Washburn LL The mouse Y* chromosome involves a complex rearrangement including interstitial positioning of the pseudoautosomal region (submitted)

  • Evans EP, Breckon G, Ford CE (1964) An air-drying method for meiotic preparations from mammalian testes. Cytogenetics 3: 289–294

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans EP, Ford CE, Searle AG (1969) A 39 XO/41 XYY mosaic mouse. Cytogenetics 8: 87–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans EP, Ford CE, Chaganti RSK, Blank CE, Hunter H (1970) XY spermatocytes in an XYY male. Lancet i: 719

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans EP, Beechey CV, Burtenshaw MD (1978) Meiosis and fertility in XYY mice. Cytogenet Cell Genet 20: 249–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster HL, Small JD, Fox JG (eds) (1983) The mouse in biomedical research. Academic Press, New York, p 424

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt PA Survival of XO mouse fetuses: Effect of parental origin of the X chromosome or uterine environment? Development (in press)

  • Levy ER, Burgoyne PS (1986) The fate of XO germ cells in the testes of XO/XY and XO/XY/XYY mouse mosaics: evidence for a spermatogenesis gene on the mouse Y chromosome. Cytogenet Cell Genet 42: 208–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovell-Badge R, Robertson E (1990) XY female mice resulting from a heritable mutation in the primary testis-determining gene, Tdy. Development 109: 635–646

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakberg EF (1956) A description of spermiogenesis in the mouse and its use in analysis of the cycle of the seminiferous spithelium and germ cell renewal. Am J Anat 99: 391–413

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer SJ, Mahadevaiah SK, Burgoyne PS (1990) XYY spermatogenesis in XO/XY/XYY mosaic mice. Cytogenet Cell Genet 54: 29–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Rathenberg R, Muller D (1973) X and Y chromosome pairing and disjunction in a male mouse with an XYY sex-chromosome constitution. Cytogenet Cell Genet 12: 87–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Skakkebaek NE, Zeuthen E, Nielsen J, Yde H (1973) Abnormal spermatogenesis in XYY males: a report on cases ascertained through a population study. Fertil Steril 24: 290–395

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Patricia A. Hunt

    Present address: The Winship Cancer Center, Emory University, 1327 Clifton Road, NE, 30322, Atlanta, GA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Jackson Laboratory, 04609, Bar Harbor, ME, USA

    Patricia A. Hunt & Eva M. Eicher

Authors
  1. Patricia A. Hunt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Eva M. Eicher
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

by P.B. Moens

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hunt, P.A., Eicher, E.M. Fertile male mice with three sex chromosomes: Evidence that infertility in XYY male mice is an effect of two Y chromosomes. Chromosoma 100, 293–299 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00360527

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00360527

Keywords

Search

Navigation