Mammalian X-chromosome inactivation and the XIST gene.
X-chromosome inactivation is a unique developmental event that results in the cis-limited transcriptional inactivation of most genes on one of the two X chromosomes in female mammals. Studies in both human and mouse have demonstrated that X inactivation requires the presence in cis of a locus, the X-inactivation center, that is thought to be involved in the initiation and/or spreading of the inactivation signal in early development. Identification and characterization of a gene, XIST, which is located at or near the X-inactivation center and which is expressed specifically from the inactive X chromosome in both humans and mouse, suggests that it may be involved in X inactivation.
Ballabio
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A
Institute for Molecular Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030.
Willard
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HF
D000818:Animals; D002843:Chromatin / Q000502:physiology; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D008745:Methylation; D051379:Mice
D002843:Chromatin; D004247:DNA