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Anti-Xistentialism

Nature Genetics volume 21, pages 343–344 (1999)Cite this article

X inactivation, which results in transcriptional silencing of one of the two X chromosomes in each cell of female mammals, ensures dosage equivalence of active X-linked genes between XX females and XY males. This process is under the control of the X-inactivation centre (Xic), which controls the initiation and propagation of inactivation. It also ensures that the correct number of X chromosomes undergo inactivation (via a counting mechanism) and determines which X chromosome becomes inactivated. The Xist gene, encoding a 15-kb RNA that coats the inactive X chromosome, is essential for Xic function1, but is Xist alone sufficient? Almost certainly not. First, the X-controlling element (Xce), which affects chromosome choice, is distinct from and lies 3´ to Xist2 (M. Prissette et al., unpublished data). Second, the effects of deletion of a 65-kb region 3´ to Xist indicate that elements involved in the counting mechanism lie distal and 3´ to Xist3. Third, there is clear evidence that large Xist-containing transgenes can only function efficiently as multicopy tandem arrays, suggesting that elements lying some distance from Xist may be required for autonomous Xic function4. Most studies of ectopic Xic function have concentrated on multicopy arrays.

Existence of Tsix

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Génétique Moléculaire Murine, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, Paris, 75015, France

    Edith Heard & Philip Avner

  2. Division of Developmental Genetics, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London, NW7 1AA, UK

    Robin Lovell-Badge

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  1. Edith Heard
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  2. Robin Lovell-Badge
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  3. Philip Avner
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Heard, E., Lovell-Badge, R. & Avner, P. Anti-Xistentialism. Nat Genet 21, 343–344 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1038/7661

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