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X-inactivation

X-inactivation

The human X chromosome contains over ten times the number of genes as in the Y chromosome. Since males have only one X chromosome, and females have two, one might expect females to produce twice as many of the proteins, with undesirable results.

X-Inactivation

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Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Genomic Imprinting and Inheritance

Diploid organisms inherit genetic material through chromosomes from both parents. Copies of the same gene are known as alleles. In most cases, both alleles are simultaneously expressed and allow various cellular processes to function optimally. If one of the alleles is missing or mutated, the expression of the other allele can compensate; however, this is not true for all genes.
The expression of some genes depends on which parent passed the gene to the offspring, through a phenomenon known as...

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In-vitro Mutagenesis

To learn more about the function of a gene, researchers can observe what happens when the gene is inactivated or “knocked out,” by creating genetically engineered knockout animals. Knockout mice have been particularly useful as models for human diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes.

Dosage Compensation

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In animals, gender is determined by the number and type of sex chromosome. For example, human females have two X chromosomes, and males have one X and one Y chromosome, whereas C.elegans with one X chromosome is a male, and the one with two X chromosomes is a hermaphrodite.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 13, 2026

A Non-random Mouse Model for Pharmacological Reactivation of Mecp2 on the Inactive X Chromosome

A Non-random Mouse Model for Pharmacological Reactivation of Mecp2 on the Inactive X Chromosome

Published on: May 22, 2019

Difference between random and imprinted X inactivation in common voles.

Elena V Dementyeva¹, Alexander I Shevchenko, Olga V Anopriyenko

¹Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Department, Institute of Cytology and Genetics, ac. Lavrentyev Avenue 10, Novosibirsk, Russia.

|May 18, 2010

Summary

In female mammals, X-chromosome inactivation silences one X-chromosome. This study reveals imprinted X-inactivation in voles is less complete than random X-inactivation, with DNA methylation playing a lesser role.

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Area of Science:

Genetics
Developmental Biology
Mammalian Biology

Background:

Female mammals possess two X-chromosomes; one is transcriptionally silenced early in development.
X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) can be random in embryonic cells or imprinted (paternal XCI) in extraembryonic lineages of some species.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare gene expression and DNA methylation patterns on the X-chromosomes in somatic and extraembryonic tissues of five vole species.
To investigate the completeness and stability of imprinted XCI versus random XCI.

Main Methods:

Gene mapping on X-chromosomes of five common vole species.
Analysis of gene expression and DNA methylation patterns in somatic and extraembryonic tissues.

Main Results:

More genes were expressed on the inactive X-chromosome in extraembryonic tissues compared to somatic tissues.
Gene methylation status correlated with expression in somatic tissues but not in extraembryonic tissues.
Imprinted XCI showed less gene silencing and weaker DNA methylation association than random XCI.

Conclusions:

Imprinted X-chromosome inactivation is less complete and/or stable than random XCI.
DNA methylation contributes less to the maintenance of imprinted XCI compared to random XCI.