The mammalian Y chromosome is a symbol of maleness and encodes genes important for male reproduction. Various deletions of the Y chromosome result in sperm defects and infertility. When haploid male germ cells were injected directly into oocytes, Yamauchi et al. (p. 69, published online 21 November; see the Perspective by Capel) found that living offspring could be derived from male mice whose Y chromosome contribution was limited to only two genes. These two genes are the testis determinant factorSry and the spermatogonial proliferation factor Eif2s3y.
Ok so the title oversimplifies it a bit but still.... this is pretty amazing and amusing :P
Other scientific discoveries pertinent to your life:
Neuroethology: Lemon-Fresh Scent Makes Flies Lay Eggs
...better stop grabbing those lemon-scented cleaning products....Many sensory cues have been shown
to influence egg-laying behavior in fruit
flies, including types of scent, color,
taste and texture, to name just a few.
For instance, temperature has shown
to be an important cue for egg
deposition [7], and flies prefer the
color green [8]. Chemosensory cues
are particularly important for
egg-laying. The smell of acetic acid is a
strong stimulant for egg-laying [9], and
the presence of sugar has also shown
to be important [10]. By contrast,
emission of Geosmin from moldy fruit
deters ovipositing females [11]. In the
new study [6], Dweck, Stensmyr and
colleagues identify the fruit volatiles
emitted that flies prefer in their choice
of egg-laying substrate. Although
D. melanogaster is a generalist, they
find that it exhibits marked preferences
for Citrus fruits (Figure 1). In a series of
multiple choice assays, flies were
allowed to oviposit on different types of
fruit and showed overwhelming
preference for non-acidic Citrus.
Current Biology Vol 23 No 24R1108
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