Abstract
Sex chromosome dosage compensation in mammals is achieved by {X-chromosome} inactivation (XCI) in the female sex. In the mammalian female cells, only one X-chromosome is transcribed, while the other is permanently silenced. As a quintessential example of epigenetic control, XCI has been the subject of intense investigation. This process is regulated by complex interplay between multiple cis-acting non-coding genes, including Xist, Tsix, Xite, and DXPas34. All make large noncoding RNAs – so-called ‘macroRNAs’ – and together orchestrate the cascade of events involved in X-chromosome counting, choice, and the initiation of silencing. In addition to their well-establishedroles in cis, some of the non-coding loci also play roles in trans. This chapter will first summarize the current state of knowledge and focus on recent developments.
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Shibata, S., Lee, J.T. (2009). MacroRNAs in the Epigenetic Control of X-Chromosome Inactivation. In: Ferguson-Smith, A.C., Greally, J.M., Martienssen, R.A. (eds) Epigenomics. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9187-2_12
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