Abstract
THE most widely accepted model for X-chromosome dosage compensation in female mammals is the single-active X hypothesis (Lyon hypothesis)1. X-Chromosome dosage compensation probably occurs at about the time of implantation of the embryo into the uterus2,3 but it is not known whether this arises by a process of X-chromosome inactivation or by X-chromosome activation4. There is now good evidence for the expression of the embryonic genome during preimplantation development5–10 and Lyon2,3 has reviewed the evidence suggesting that X chromosomes are also expressed during this period. This includes both indirect observations11–13 and the more direct experiments with the X-linked enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl-transferase (HPRT) (ref. 10). We have examined the expression of another X-linked enzyme, α-galactosidase14–15 and report here a 300-fold increase in activity during preimplantation development. This is probably due to the expression of embryonic X chromosomes.
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ADLER, D., WEST, J. & CHAPMAN, V. Expression of α-galactosidase in preimplantation mouse embryos. Nature 267, 838–839 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/267838a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/267838a0
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