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- Title
Imprinted X inactivation maintained by a mouse Polycomb group gene.
- Authors
Wang, J; Mager, J; Chen, Y; Schneider, E; Cross, J C; Nagy, A; Magnuson, T
- Abstract
In mammals, dosage compensation of X-linked genes is achieved by the transcriptional silencing of one X chromosome in the female (reviewed in ref. 1). This process, called X inactivation, is usually random in the embryo proper. In marsupials and the extra-embryonic region of the mouse, however, X inactivation is imprinted: the paternal X chromosome is preferentially inactivated whereas the maternal X is always active. Having more than one active X chromosome is deleterious to extra-embryonic development in the mouse. Here we show that the gene eed (embryonic ectoderm development), a member of the mouse Polycomb group (Pc-G) of genes, is required for primary and secondary trophoblast giant cell development in female embryos. Results from mice carrying a paternally inherited X-linked green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgene implicate eed in the stable maintenance of imprinted X inactivation in extra-embryonic tissues. Based on the recent finding that the Eed protein interacts with histone deacetylases, we suggest that this maintenance activity involves hypoacetylation of the inactivated paternal X chromosome in the extra-embryonic tissues.
- Publication
Nature genetics, 2001, Vol 28, Issue 4, p371
- ISSN
1061-4036
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1038/ng574