Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2025

In Vivo Modeling of the Morbid Human Genome using Danio rerio
Published on: August 24, 2013
Dosage compensation in Bombyx mori is achieved by partial repression of both Z chromosomes in males
Leah F Rosin1, Dahong Chen1, Yang Chen1
1Nuclear Organization and Gene Expression Section, Laboratory of Biochemistry and Genetics, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Abstract:
SignificanceGenes on sex chromosomes (i.e. human chX) are regulated differently in males and females to balance gene expression levels between sexes (XY vs. XX). This sex-specific regulation is called dosage compensation (DC). DC is achieved by altering the shape and compaction of sex chromosomes specifically in one sex. In this study, we use Oligopaints to examine DC in silkworms. This study visualizes this phenomenon in a species with ZW sex chromosomes, which evolved independently of XY. Our data support a long-standing model for how DC mechanisms evolved across species, and we show potential similarity between DC in silkworms and nematodes, suggesting that this type of DC may have emerged multiple independent times throughout evolution.
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...
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...
X-Inactivation
X and Y Chromosomes
The germline cells such as egg and sperm cells carry only half the number of chromosomes, i.e., 22 autosomes and one sex chromosome. All eggs have an X chromosome, while sperm cells can carry an X or...
Position-effect Variegation
Heterochromatin
Constitutive heterochromatin: It is a highly compact region of chromatin that is mostly concentrated in the centromere and telomere. Unlike euchromatin, the amino acid at...

