Expression of the Xist gene in urogenital ridges of midgestation male embryos.
We show by RT-PCR analysis that transcripts from the Xist gene, which is normally expressed from the inactive X chromosome of female somatic cells and postnatal male germ cells, are transiently expressed also in male embryos around the time of testis differentiation, mainly in somatic cells of urogenital ridges. In the postnatal testis, we find that Xist transcripts are mainly localized within the nucleus of haploid spermatids. These findings suggest that inactivation of the X-chromosome might occur not only in adult male germ cells, but also, transiently, in somatic cells of the male urogenital ridge. Both in the embryonal gonad and in differentiating germ cells Xist expression in males overlaps the pattern of expression of the testis determining gene Sry.
Dolci
S
S
Dipartimento di Sanità Pubblica e Biologia Cellulare, Università degli Studi di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy.
Geremia
R
R
Albanesi
C
C
Rossi
P
P
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005865:Gestational Age; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014566:Urogenital System / Q000196:embryology*; D014960:X Chromosome
D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D014157:Transcription Factors; C077885:XIST non-coding RNA