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| Subject Categories: Chromatin & Transcription | RNA |
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| The EMBO Journal
(2004) 23, 594–604, doi:10.1038/sj.emboj.7600071 Published online 29 January 2004 |
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| The region 3' to Xist mediates X chromosome counting and H3 Lys-4 dimethylation within the Xist gene |
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| Céline Morey, Pablo Navarro, Emmanuel Debrand1, Philip Avner, Claire Rougeulle and Philippe Clerc |
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Génétique Moléculaire Murine, Institut Pasteur, rue du Docteur Roux, Paris, France To whom correspondence should be addressed Philippe Clerc, Institut Pasteur, 25, rue du Docteur Roux, Paris 75015, France. Tel.: +33 1 45 68 86 25; Fax: +33 1 45 68 86 56; E-mail: pclerc@pasteur.fr 1 Present address: Laboratory of Chromatin and Gene Expression, The Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge CB2 4AT, UK Received 30 October 2003; Accepted 17 December 2003; Published online 29 January 2004. |
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| Abstract |
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| A counting process senses the X chromosome/autosome ratio and ensures that X chromosome inactivation (XCI) initiates in the female (XX) but not in the male (XY) mouse embryo. Counting is regulated by the X-inactivation centre, which contains the Xist gene. Deleting 65 kb 3' to Xist in XO embryonic stem (ES) cells affects counting and results in inappropriate XCI upon differentiation. We show here that normal counting can be rescued in these deleted ES cells using cre/loxP re-insertion, and refine the location of elements controlling counting within a 20 kb bipartite domain. Furthermore, we show that the 65 kb deletion also leads to inappropriate XCI in XY differentiated ES cells, which excludes the involvement of sex-specific mechanisms in the initiation of XCI. At the chromatin level, we have found that the Xist gene corresponds to a peak of H3 Lys-4 dimethylation, which is dramatically and specifically affected by the deletion 3' to Xist. Our results raise the possibility that H3 Lys-4 dimethylation within Xist may be functionally implicated in the counting process. |
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| Keywords: counting, histone dimethylation, X chromosome inactivation, Xist |
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Top of page MORE ARTICLES LIKE THISThese links to content published by NPG are automatically generated NEWS AND VIEWSNature Cell Biology News and Views (01 Mar 2006) Nature Genetics News and Views (01 Apr 1999) RESEARCHSynergy of Eed and Tsix in the repression of Xist gene and X-chromosome inactivation The EMBO Journal Article (09 Jul 2008) Synergy of Eed and Tsix in the repression of Xist gene and X-chromosome inactivation The EMBO Journal Article |
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