Inactivation of the Zfx gene on the mouse X chromosome.
ZFX, an X chromosome-linked gene encoding a zinc-finger protein, has previously been shown to escape X inactivation in humans. Here we report studies of the inactivation status of the homolog, Zfx, on the mouse X chromosome. We took advantage of both the preferential inactivation of the normal X chromosome in females carrying the T(X;16)16H translocation and the high degree of nucleotide sequence variation between the laboratory strain of mouse [corrected] and Mus spretus genomes. An EcoRV restriction fragment difference between laboratory strain of mouse [corrected] and M. spretus was detected after amplification of Zfx transcripts using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Using this allelic variation, we assessed expression of the two Zfx genes in females carrying the T(X;16)16H translocation (from laboratory strain of mouse [corrected]) and an intact X chromosome (from M. spretus). Such females exhibit Zfx transcription from the active laboratory strain of mouse [corrected] chromosome but not from the inactive M. spretus chromosome. These results indicate that the mouse Zfx gene is subject to X inactivation.
Adler
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DA
Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.
Bressler
S L
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Chapman
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VM
Page
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Disteche
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CM
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009115:Muridae / Q000235:genetics; D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D014178:Translocation, Genetic; D014960:X Chromosome; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
D015345:Oligonucleotide Probes