Int. J. Dev. Biol. 63: 223 - 233 (2019)

https://doi.org/10.1387/ijdb.180376as

Vol 63, Issue 3-4-5

Special Issue: Early mammalian development

Diverse developmental strategies of X chromosome dosage compensation in eutherian mammals

Published: 16 April 2019

Alexander I. Shevchenko*^,1,2,3,4, Elena V. Dementyeva^1,2,3, Irina S. Zakharova^1,2,3 and Suren M. Zakian^1,2,3,4

Federal Research Centre “Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Novosibirsk, Russia

Abstract

In eutherian mammals, dosage compensation arose to balance X-linked gene expression between sexes and relatively to autosomal gene expression in the evolution of sex chromosomes. Dosage compensation occurs in early mammalian development and comprises X chromosome upregulation and inactivation that are tightly coordinated epigenetic processes. Despite a uniform principle of dosage compensation, mechanisms of X chromosome inactivation and upregulation demonstrate a significant variability depending on sex, developmental stage, cell type, individual, and mammalian species. The review focuses on relationships between X chromosome inactivation and upregulation in mammalian early development.

Keywords

dosage compensation, mammal, X chromosome upregulation, X chromosome inactivation, Xist