The surprising structure of a shrub willow sex chromosome

Sex in plants can be befuddling. Most species are hermaphrodites, expressing both male and female gametes in one individual. But some, including shrub willow Salix purpurea, employ the evolutionary strategy we are far more ...

Record-size sex chromosome found in two bird species

Researchers in Sweden and the UK have discovered the largest known avian sex chromosome. The giant chromosome was created when four chromosomes fused together into one, and has been found in two species of lark.

Genes linked to sex ratio and male fertility in mice

One of the more recent trends among parents-to-be is the so-called gender reveal, a party complete with pink or blue cake to answer the burning question, "Is it a boy or girl?" After all, it's presumed that there's a 50-50 ...

Breakthrough in sex-chromosome regulation

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have uncovered a chromosome-wide mechanism that keeps the gene expression of sex chromosomes in balance in our cells. The findings shed light on molecular reasons for early miscarriage ...

The paradox of different house flies with few genetic differences

In the steamy, often filthy world of the humble house fly, (the Musca domestica) clear division exists among the males of the species. Though not a civil war, there are differences, to be sure, between males in the north ...

Sex and diet affect protein machineries

Scientists from EMBL Heidelberg have discovered that the collection of proteins in an animal cell—called the proteome—is substantially affected by both the animal's sex and its diet. Understanding these individual proteomes ...

page 4 from 12