title: X chromosome inactivation sparked by non-coding RNAs.
abstract: Non-coding RNAs regulate dosage compensation in mammals by controlling transcriptional silencing of one of the two X chromosomes in females. The two major transcripts involved in this process are Xist and its antisense counterpart Tsix. Expression of Xist and Tsix from the X inactivation center is mutually exclusive. Xist expression triggers chromosome wide silencing of the X chromosome from which it is transcribed. Tsix is a repressor of Xist and is specifically expressed from the other X chromosome, maintaining its activity. Here, we review non-coding RNAs that have been implicated in X chromosome inactivation. Focusing on the best studied transcripts Xist and Tsix we portray a current perspective on chromosome wide gene regulation by non-coding RNAs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Pathology, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leeb
authors.forename: Philipp A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Steffen
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wutz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D018628:Gene Dosage; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D049951:X Chromosome Inactivation
chemical_list: D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; C077885:XIST non-coding RNA