title: Long nonoding RNAs in the X-inactivation center.
abstract: The X-inactivation center is a hotbed of functional long noncoding RNAs in eutherian mammals. These RNAs are thought to help orchestrate the epigenetic transcriptional states of the two X-chromosomes in females as well as of the single X-chromosome in males. To balance X-linked gene expression between the sexes, females undergo transcriptional silencing of most genes on one of the two X-chromosomes in a process termed X-chromosome inactivation. While one X-chromosome is inactivated, the other X-chromosome remains active. Moreover, with a few notable exceptions, the originally established epigenetic transcriptional profiles of the two X-chromosomes is maintained as such through many rounds of cell division, essentially for the life of the organism. The stable and divergent transcriptional fates of the two X-chromosomes, despite residing in a shared nucleoplasm, make X-inactivation a paradigm of epigenetic transcriptional regulation. Originally proposed in 1961 by Mary Lyon, the X-inactivation hypothesis has been validated through much experimentation. In the last 25 years, the discovery and functional characterization has firmly established X-linked long noncoding RNAs as key players in choreographing X-chromosome inactivation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maclary
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hinten
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
authors.forename: Clair
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
authors.forename: Sundeep
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalantry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding / Q000235:genetics*; D014960:X Chromosome / Q000235:genetics; D049951:X Chromosome Inactivation / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; C077885:XIST non-coding RNA