[Dicentric Y chromosomes. First part: cytogenetic and molecular aspects]

Dicentric Y chromosomes have been reviewed twice in 1994 by Hsu et al. and in 1995 by Tuck-Muller et al. who showed that dic(Y) are the most common Y structural abnormalities and that their influence on gonadal and somatic development is extremely variable. The prediction of their phenotypic consequences is often difficult because of the variety of genomic sequences concerned by duplications and deletions, because of the variable degrees of mosaicism (cell line 45,X in particular) and at the end, because of identification and analysis technical difficulties of the structure of the rearranged Y chromosome. The clinical specter of this cytogenetic abnormality is rather wide going from almost-normal or infertile males, to females with or without stigmas of Turner syndrome. Middle phenotypes consist of various degrees of genital ambiguities. However, clinical expression seems to be related to the genomic capital of the Y chromosome, mainly the Y genes involved in the control of the process of the determination of gonads (Yp) and spermatogenesis (Yq) as well as control of the growth and the skeletal development (Yp). Here, we report a third comprehensive review of the literature concerning dicentric Y chromosomes reported since 1994. In the light of previous reviews as well as the recent data of the genetic cartography of the Y chromosome, we try, in this first part, to determine characteristics of reported dicentric Y chromosomes as well as their chromosomal mechanics, their mitotic stability and finally their cytogenetic and molecular investigations.