Spread of X-chromosome inactivation into autosomal sequences: role for DNA elements, chromatin features and chromosomal domains.

ABSTRACT: X-chromosome inactivation results in dosage equivalence between the X chromosome in males and females; however, over 15% of human X-linked genes escape silencing and these genes are enriched on the evolutionarily younger short arm of the X chromosome. The spread of inactivation onto translocated autosomal material allows the study of inactivation without the confounding evolutionary history of the X chromosome. The heterogeneity and reduced extent of silencing on autosomes are evidence for the importance of DNA elements underlying the spread of silencing. We have assessed DNA methylation in six unbalanced X-autosome translocations using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 array. Two to 42% of translocated autosomal genes showed this mark of silencing, with the highest degree of inact

SUBMITTER: Cotton AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4051349 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature