Evidence that the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway participates in X chromosome dosage compensation in mammals.
Current models of X chromosome dosage compensation are usually framed by reference to how regulation in transcriptional level elevates the gene expression of the active X chromosome. This framework, however, might be oversimplified because regulation of gene expression can also act at the post-transcriptional level. Here, after a genome-wide survey, we find that autosomal genes are more likely subject to nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) than X-linked genes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that after NMD inhibition, balanced gene expression between X chromosome and autosomes is corrupted such that the global mean X/autosome gene expression ratio is decreased by 10-15%. Our results identify NMD as a post-transcription-level regulatory mechanism that contributes to the observed fine-tuning of X chromosome dosage compensation in mammals.
Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences & Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, People's Republic of China.
Shanye
S
Yin
Wenjun
W
Deng
Hancheng
H
Zheng
Zhengguo
Z
Zhang
Landian
L
Hu
Xiangyin
X
Kong
D017398:Alternative Splicing; D000818:Animals; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X / Q000235:genetics; D018389:Codon, Nonsense / Q000235:genetics; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D020871:RNA Stability; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics*
D018389:Codon, Nonsense; D012333:RNA, Messenger