Dosage compensation and nuclear organization: cluster to control chromosome-wide gene expression. (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sharma, Rahul; Meister, Peter
• Is Part Of: Current opinion in genetics & development. Volume 37(2016)
• Page Start: 9
• Page End: 16
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: Genetics -- Periodicals; Developmental biology -- Periodicals; Developmental genetics -- Periodicals; 576.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2015.11.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-437X

Abstract

Abstract : In many species, male and female animals differ in the number of X chromosomes they possess. As a consequence, large scale differences in gene dosage exist between sexes; a phenomenon that is rarely tolerated by the organism for changes in autosome dosage. Several strategies have evolved independently to balance X-linked gene dosage between sexes, named dosage compensation (DC). The molecular basis of DC differs among the three best-studied examples: mammals, fruit fly and nematodes. In this short review, we summarize recent microscopic and chromosome conformation capture data that reveal key features of the compensated X chromosome and highlight the events leading to the establishment of a functional, specialized nuclear compartment, the X domain.