DUX

The double homebox (DUX) family contains genes occurring in tandem at multiple regions of the genome, most commonly in areas of heterochromatic sequence. Many of these genes are involved in transcriptional regulation and are active during embryogenesis. An examination of DUX genes on chromosome Y demonstrated that a DUX gene cassette transposed to this chromosome and subsequently diverged, such that DUXY copies 2-4, which have a stop codon in chimpanzee that renders them non-functional, underwent neofunctionalization in the human lineage.