Short arm dicentric Y chromosome in a sterile man: a case report

A short arm dicentric Y chromosome as the predominant cell line in a sterile man is reported. We studied a 33-year-old sterile man whose seminiferous tubules had only Sertoli cells. Chromosomal analysis, using G, Q and C-banding techniques, showed that the predominant cell line had a short arm dicentric Y chromosome. By the deoxyribonucleic acid probe pHY10, the lack of the gene corresponding to the Yq heterochromatic and distal Yq euchromatic region was detected. It is suggested that the gene controlling spermatogenesis is located on the distal euchromatic region on Yq.