Dosage compensation in Drosophila.
Dosage compensation in Drosophila increases the transcription of genes on the single X chromosome in males to equal that of both X chromosomes in females. Site-specific histone acetylation by the male-specific lethal (MSL) complex is thought to play a fundamental role in the increased transcriptional output of the male X. Nucleation and sequence-independent spreading of the complex to active genes serves as a model for understanding the targeting and function of epigenetic chromatin-modifying complexes. Interestingly, two noncoding RNAs are key for MSL assembly and spreading to active genes along the length of the X chromosome.
Department of Biology, O. W. Rollins Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
John C
JC
Lucchesi
Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
Mitzi I
MI
Kuroda
D000818:Animals; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D004303:Dosage Compensation, Genetic; D004330:Drosophila / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014960:X Chromosome