title: An Xist-activating antisense RNA required for X-chromosome inactivation.
abstract: The transcriptional imbalance due to the difference in the number of X chromosomes between male and female mammals is remedied through X-chromosome inactivation, the epigenetic transcriptional silencing of one of the two X chromosomes in females. The X-linked Xist long non-coding RNA functions as an X inactivation master regulator; Xist is selectively upregulated from the prospective inactive X chromosome and is required in cis for X inactivation. Here we discover an Xist antisense long non-coding RNA, XistAR (Xist Activating RNA), which is encoded within exon 1 of the mouse Xist gene and is transcribed only from the inactive X chromosome. Selective truncation of XistAR, while sparing the overlapping Xist RNA, leads to a deficiency in Xist RNA expression in cis during the initiation of X inactivation. Thus, the Xist gene carries within its coding sequence an antisense RNA that drives Xist expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Mrinal K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Srimonta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gayen
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Surinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Maclary
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Buttigieg
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hinten
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Archana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumari
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Clair
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Bioscience, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kinki University, 3327-204 Nakamachi, Nara 631-8505, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1232-0250
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sado
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Sundeep
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0763-8050
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kalantry
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D005260:Female; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000378:metabolism*; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; D049951:X Chromosome Inactivation
chemical_list: D016372:RNA, Antisense; D062085:RNA, Long Noncoding; C077885:XIST non-coding RNA