Integrated analysis of Xist upregulation and X-chromosome inactivation with single-cell and single-allele resolution.

ABSTRACT: To ensure dosage compensation between the sexes, one randomly chosen X chromosome is silenced in each female cell in the process of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI). XCI is initiated during early development through upregulation of the long non-coding RNA Xist, which mediates chromosome-wide gene silencing. Cell differentiation, Xist upregulation and gene silencing are thought to be coupled at multiple levels to ensure inactivation of exactly one out of two X chromosomes. Here we perform an integrated analysis of all three processes through allele-specific single-cell RNA-sequencing. Specifically, we assess the onset of random XCI in differentiating mouse embryonic stem cells, and develop dedicated analysis approaches. By exploiting the inter-cellular heterogeneity of XCI onset, we identify

SUBMITTER: Pacini G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8206119 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature