Xist is expressed in female embryonal carcinoma cells with two active X chromosomes

Journal Article · Sun May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Somatic Cell and Molecular Genetics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02254758· OSTI ID:6483383

Tai, H H; Gordon, J; McBurney, M W ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Ottawa, Ontario (Canada)

The Xist gene resides on the X chromosome and is expressed in female but not male somatic cells. In female cells, only the Xist allele on the inactive X chromosome is transcribed. The authors investigated the expression of Xist in diploid P10 female embryonal carcinoma cells that have two active X chromosomes. Xist RNA was present in these P10 cells. The X chromosomes in P10 cells carry different Xist alleles whose transcripts can be distinguished by restriction digestion of their cDNAs. Both alleles were expressed. Clones of P10 cells that had lost an X chromosome did not express Xist from the remaining allele. Thus Xist is expressed in cultured cells developmentally arrested prior to X chromosome inactivation, indicating that the Xist transcript is not always derived from an inactive X chromosome. Therefore, Xist expression per se cannot be a sufficient signal to inactive an X chromosome.

• OSTI ID: 6483383
• Journal Information: Somatic Cell and Molecular Genetics; (United States), Journal Name: Somatic Cell and Molecular Genetics; (United States) Vol. 20:3; ISSN 0740-7750; ISSN SCMGDN
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550400* -- Genetics
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CARCINOMAS
CHROMOSOMES
DISEASES
GENE REGULATION
HETEROCHROMOSOMES
HUMAN CHROMOSOMES
HUMAN X CHROMOSOME
INACTIVATION
NEOPLASMS
X CHROMOSOME