2006-06-26
X chromosomes alternate between two states prior to random X-inactivation
Publication
Publication
P L o S Biology (Print) , Volume 4 - Issue 6 p. 0906- 0916
Early in the development of female mammals, one of the two X chromosomes is silenced in half of cells and the other X chromosome is silenced in the remaining half. The basis of this apparent randomness is not understood. We show that before X-inactivation, the two X chromosomes appear to exist in distinct states that correspond to their fates as the active and inactive X chromosomes. Xist and Tsix, noncoding RNAs that control X chromosome fates upon X-inactivation, also determine the states of the X chromosomes prior to X-inactivation. In wild-type ES cells, X chromosomes switch between states; among the progeny of a single cell, a given X chromosome exhibits each state with equal frequency. We propose a model in which the concerted switching of homologous X chromosomes between mutually exclusive future active and future inactive states provides the basis for the apparently random silencing of one X chromosome in female cells.
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| doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0040159, hdl.handle.net/1765/73893 | |
| P L o S Biology (Print) | |
| Organisation | Biophysical Genomics, Department Cell Biology & Genetics |
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Mlynarczyk-Evans, S., Royce-Tolland, M., Alexander, M. K., Andersen, A., Kalantry, S., Gribnau, J., & Panning, M. (2006). X chromosomes alternate between two states prior to random X-inactivation. P L o S Biology (Print), 4(6), 0906–0916. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0040159 |
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