Monika Cechova received her Ph.D. in Biology at Penn State where she studied the Y chromosome evolution in great apes, as well as applied long reads to explore heterochromatin in great apes under the supervision of prof. Kateryna Makova. She’s interested in sex chromosomes, satellite biology, non-B DNA, and reproductive biology, as well as advances in the world of long reads and assembly. Her background in computer science positions her research at the interface of biology and bioinformatics.
PhD Major in Biology, Minor in Statistics, 2020
Penn State, USA
MS in Bioinformatics, 2013
Masaryk University, Brno
BS in Applied Informatics, 2011
Masaryk University, Brno
3 years
5 years
9 years
The male-specific Y chromosome harbors genes important for sperm production. Because Y is repetitive, its DNA sequence was deciphered for only a few species, and its evolution remains elusive. Here we compared the Y chromosomes of great apes (human, chimpanzee, bonobo, gorilla, and orangutan) and found that many of their repetitive sequences and multicopy genes were likely already present in their common ancestor. Y repeats had increased intrachromosomal contacts, which might facilitate preservation of genes and gene regulatory elements. Chimpanzee and bonobo, experiencing high sperm competition, underwent many DNA changes and gene losses on the Y. Our research is significant for understanding the role of the Y chromosome in reproduction of nonhuman great apes, all of which are endangered.