Nature Genetics
2, 200 - 203 (1992)
doi:10.1038/ng1192-200
Expression of Xist in mouse germ cells correlates with X−chromosome inactivationJohn R. McCarrey1
& Donald D. Dilworth1
1Department of Genetics, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, P.O. Box 28147 San Antonio, TX 78228 (USA) Mammals compensate for different doses of X−chromosome−linked genes in male (XY) and female (XX) somatic cells by terminally inactivating all but one X chromosome in each cell. A transiently inactive X chromosome is also found in germ cells, specifically in premeiotic oogenic cells and in meiotic and postmeiotic spermatogenic cells. Here we show that the Xist gene, which is a expressed predominantly from the inactive X−chromosome in female somatic cells, is also expressed in germ cells of both sexes, but only at those stages when an inactive X chromosome is present. This suggests support for the putative role of Xist as a regulator of X−chromosome inactivation and suggest a common mechanism for the initiation and/or maintenance of X−chromosome inactivation in all cell types.
REFERENCES
- Kratzer, P.G. & Gartler, S.M. HGPRT activity changes in preimplantation mouse embryos. Nature 274, 503−504 (1978). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Lyon, M.F. Gene action in the X-chromosome of the mouse (Mus musculus L.). Nature 190, 372−373 (1961). | ISI | ChemPort |
- Gartler, S.M. & Riggs, A.D. Mammalian X-chromosome inactivation. A. Rev. Genet. 17, 155−190 (1983). | Article | ISI | ChemPort |
- Kratzer, P.G. & Chapman, V.M. X-chromosome reactivation in oocytes of Mus caroli. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 78, 3093−3097 (1981). | ChemPort |
- Gartler, S.M., Liskay, R.M., Campbell, B.K., Sparkes, R. & Gant, N. Evidence for two functional X chromosomes in human ooctyes. Cell Diff. 1, 215−218 (1972). | Article | ChemPort |
- McMahon, A., Fosten, M. & Monk, M. Random X-chromosome inactivation in female primordial germ cells in the mouse. J. Embryol. exp. Morphol. 64, 251−258 (1981). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- McCarrey, J.R., Dilworth, D.D. & Sharp, R.M. Semi-quantitative analysis of X-linked gene expression during spermatogenesis in the mouse based on ethidium-bromide staining of RT-PCR products. Gen. Anal. Tech. Appl. (in the press).
- Singer-Sam, J., Robinson, M.O., Bellve, A.R., Simon, M.I. & Riggs, A.D. Measurement by quantitative PCR of changes in Hprt, Pgk-1, Aprt, Mtase, and Zfy gene transcripts during mouse spermatogenesis. Nucl. Acids Res. 18, 1255−1259 (1990). | PubMed | ChemPort |
- McCarrey, J.R. et al. Differential transcription of Pgk genes during spermatogenesis in the mouse. Devl. Biol. 153 (In the press).
- Grant, S.G. & Chapman, V.M. Mechanisms of X-chromosome regulation. A. Rev. Genet. 22, 199−233 (1988). | Article | ISI | ChemPort |
- Brown, S.D.M. XIST and the mapping of the X chromosome inactivation center. BioEssays 13, 607−612 (1991). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Brown, C.J. et al. Localization of the X inactivation center on the human X chromosome in Xq13. Nature 349, 82−84 (1991). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Brown, C.J. et al. A gene from the region of the human X inactivation center is expressed exclusively from the inactive X chromosome. Nature 349, 38−44 (1991). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Borsani, G. et al. Characterization of a murine gene expressed from the inactive X chromosome. Nature 351, 325−329 (1991). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Brockdorff, N. et al. Conservation of position and exclusive expression of mouse Xist from the inactive X chromosome. Nature 351, 329−332 (1991). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Kafri, T. et al. Developmental pattern of gene-specific DNA methylation in the mouse embryo and germ line. Genes Dev. 6, 705−714 (1992). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Romrell, L.J., Bellve, A.R. & Fawcett, D.W. Separation of mouse spermatogenic cells by sedimentation velocity. A morphological characterization. Devl. Biol. 49, 119−131 (1976). | ChemPort |
- Bellve, A.R. et al. Spermatogenic cells of the prepuberal mouse. Isolation and morphological characterization. J. Cell Biol. 74, 68−85 (1977). | Article | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Hahnel, A.C. & Eddy, E.M. Cell surface markers of mouse primordial germ cells defined by two monoclonal antibodies. Gam. Res. 15, 25−34 (1986). | ISI |
- McCarrey, J.R., Hsu, K.C., Eddy, E.M., Klevecz, R.R. & Bolen, J.L. Isolation of viable mouse primordial germ cells by antibody-directed flow sorting. J. exp. Zool. 242, 107−111 (1987). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Monesi, V. Ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis during differentiation of male germ cells in the mouse. Archs Anat. microsc. Morph. Exp. 56, 61−74 (1967). | ChemPort |
- Handel, M.A., Hunt, P.A., Kot, M.C., Park, C. & Shannon, M. Role of sex chromosomes in the control of male germ-cell differentiation. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 637, 64−73 (1991). | PubMed | ChemPort |
- Singer-Sam, J., Goldstein, L., Dai, A., Gartler, S.M.& Riggs, A.D. A potentially critical Hpa II site of the X chromosome-linked PGK1 gene is unmethylated prior to the onset of meiosis of human oogenic cells. Proc. natn. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89, 1413−1417 (1992). | ChemPort |
- Venolia, L., Cooper, D.W., O'Brien, D.A., Millette, C.F. & Gartler, S.M. Transformation of the Hprt gene with DNA from spermatogenic cells. Implications for the evolution of X-chromosome inactivation. Chromosoma 90, 185−189 (1984). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Ballabio, A. & Willard, H.F. Mammalian X-chromosome inactivation and the XIST gene. Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 2, 439−447 (1992). | PubMed | ChemPort |
- Chirgwin, J.M., Przybyla, A.E., MacDonald, R.J. & Rutter, W.J. Isolation of biologically active ribonucleic acid from sources enriched in ribonuclease. Biochemistry 18, 5294−5299 (1979). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Hahnel, A.C. et al. Two alkaline phosphatase genes are expressed during early development in the mouse embryo. Development 110, 555−564 (1990). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Dilworth, D.D. & McCarrey, J.R. Single-step elimination of contaminating DNA prior to reverse transcriptase PCR. PCR Meth. Applic. 1, 279−282 (1992). | ChemPort |
- Tokunaga, K., Taniguchi, H., Yoda, K., Shimizu, M. & Sakiyama, S. Nucleotide sequence of a full-length cDNA for mouse cytoskeletal
 -actin mRNA. Nucl. Acids Res. 14, 2829 (1986). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
- Murakawa, G.J. et al. Direct detection of HIV-1 RNA from AIDS and ARC patient samples. DNA 7, 287−295 (1988). | PubMed | ISI | ChemPort |
|
