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Updated: Jan 6, 2026

A Non-random Mouse Model for Pharmacological Reactivation of Mecp2 on the Inactive X Chromosome
Published on: May 22, 2019
X-chromosome upregulation is driven by increased burst frequency
Anton J M Larsson1, Christos Coucoravas2, Rickard Sandberg1
1Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
X-chromosome upregulation compensates for gene dosage imbalance by increasing transcription burst frequency. This mechanism is established during X inactivation in differentiating female cells, providing key mechanistic insights.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Ohno's hypothesis explains X-chromosome dosage compensation.
- Autosomal genes have two active copies, while X-linked genes face dosage challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the transcriptional kinetics of X-chromosome upregulation.
- To understand the mechanism behind dosage compensation for X-linked genes.
Main Methods:
- Utilized allele-specific single-cell RNA sequencing.
- Analyzed data from somatic and embryonic mouse cells.
- Monitored transcriptional kinetics during differentiation of female mouse embryonic stem cells.
Main Results:
- Confirmed elevated X-chromosome expression levels in both female and male cells.
- Demonstrated that X-chromosome upregulation is achieved through increased transcription burst frequencies.
- Observed that increased burst frequency on the active X chromosome coincides with X inactivation on the other allele.
Conclusions:
- Provided mechanistic insights into X-chromosome upregulation.
- Elucidated the role of transcriptional burst frequency in dosage compensation.
- Linked the establishment of upregulation to the process of X inactivation.
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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
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