title: Sex chromosome inactivation in germ cells: emerging roles of DNA damage response pathways.
abstract: Sex chromosome inactivation in male germ cells is a paradigm of epigenetic programming during sexual reproduction. Recent progress has revealed the underlying mechanisms of sex chromosome inactivation in male meiosis. The trigger of chromosome-wide silencing is activation of the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway, which is centered on the mediator of DNA damage checkpoint 1 (MDC1), a binding partner of phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX). This DDR pathway shares features with the somatic DDR pathway recognizing DNA replication stress in the S phase. Additionally, it is likely to be distinct from the DDR pathway that recognizes meiosis-specific double-strand breaks. This review article extensively discusses the underlying mechanism of sex chromosome inactivation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Sciences, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH, USA.
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichijima
authors.forename: Ho-Su
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Sin
authors.forename: Satoshi H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Namekawa
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D004249:DNA Damage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004260:DNA Repair; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D006657:Histones / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D008957:Models, Genetic; D015398:Signal Transduction; D049951:X Chromosome Inactivation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D018797:Cell Cycle Proteins; D006657:Histones; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C508937:MDC1 protein, mouse