Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Slide Preparation Method to Preserve Three-dimensional Chromatin Architecture of Testicular Germ Cells
Published on: January 10, 2014
Role and control of X chromosome dosage in mammalian development
1Mammalian Developmental Epigenetics Group, Institut Curie, CNRS UMR 3215, INSERM U934, Paris 75248, France.
Abstract:
Many species have evolved sex chromosomes with highly divergent gene content, such as the X and Y chromosomes in mammals. As most non sex-specific genes probably need to be expressed at similar levels in males and females, dosage compensation mechanisms are in place to equalize the gene dosage between the sexes, and possibly also between sex chromosomes and autosomes. In mammals, one out of two X chromosomes is inactivated early during development in a process called X-chromosome inactivation that has been investigated intensively in the 50 years since it was discovered. Less is known about the potential functional roles of X-linked gene dosage, for example in controlling development in a sex-specific manner. In this review, we discuss the evolution of dosage compensation and how it is controlled during embryogenesis of mammals. In addition we will summarize evidence on the potential role of X chromosome number during early development.
More Related Videos
15:54Combined DNA-RNA Fluorescent In situ Hybridization (FISH) to Study X Chromosome Inactivation in Differentiated Female Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Published on: June 14, 2014
08:27A Non-random Mouse Model for Pharmacological Reactivation of Mecp2 on the Inactive X Chromosome
Published on: May 22, 2019
Related Concept Videos
Dosage Compensation
In addition to sexual development, the X chromosome has genes involved in autosomal functions such as brain development and the immune system. Therefore, males and females with distinct numbers of X chromosomes will have...
X-inactivation
X-Inactivation
Epigenetic Regulation
Epigenetic Regulation
X-chromosome...
The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female Drosophila...