For decades, the Y chromosome — one of the two human sex chromosomes — has been notoriously challenging for the genomics community to sequence due to the complexity of its structure. Now, this elusive ...

While all human chromosomes contain repeats, more than 30 million letters of the Y chromosome — out of 62.5 million — are repetitive sequences, sometimes called satellite DNA or junk DNA.

Researchers assemble the first complete sequence of a human Y chromosome New sequence reveals genomic factors in fertility, including sperm production Date: August 23, 2023 Source: NIH/National ...

“Not only can we learn about human evolution from these sequences, but we can apply what we know about their genomes and human genomes to better understand the biology and reproduction of these ...

The new sequence comes from essentially half a human—that is, half of the genetic content normally found in a person’s DNA. Each person has two sets of chromosomes, a maternal and a paternal one.

“Truly finishing the human genome sequence was like putting on a new pair of glasses. “Now that we can clearly see everything, we are one step closer to understanding what it all means.” ...

But that’s a fraction of the almost $450 million that it cost the Human Genome Project to achieve its final sequence in 2003. And with new technology, sequencing is only getting cheaper.

The new sequence, which fills in gaps across more than 50% of the Y chromosome’s length, uncovers important genomic features with implications for fertility, such as factors in sperm production.