Beyond sense: the role of antisense RNA in controlling Xist expression.
The Xist RNA is a critical component of X inactivation, and Tsix is a non-coding antisense RNA to the Xist gene. We review the data from mouse that demonstrates that Tsix serves to regulate Xist expression. TSIX antisense transcripts have also been detected in humans, but without a manipulatable system to study the inactivation process in humans it remains unknown whether these antisense transcripts are functional in regulating human XIST. After a review of the differences between the human and mouse antisense, we discuss how the question of whether or not the human TSIX is functional impacts models of Tsix function.
Brown
Carolyn J
CJ
Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, 6174 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z3. cbrown@interchange.ubc.ca
Chow
Jennifer C
JC
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*
D016372:RNA, Antisense; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; C077885:XIST non-coding RNA