The cells of female mammals have a dosage problem, because they have twice as many X chromosomes as are needed in the body. Consequently, one of them is randomly selected and switched off already during early embryonic development. ...
Molecular & Computational biology
Jan 5, 2022
0
297
In one of the mysteries of mammalian development, every cell in the early female embryo shuts down one of its two copies of the X chromosome, leaving just one functional. For years, the mechanics behind this X chromosome ...
Cell & Microbiology
Nov 12, 2021
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328
Autoimmune diseases tend to strike women more than men and having multiple X chromosomes could be the main reason why. While a process called X chromosome inactivation serves to balance out gene dosage between males and females, ...
Biotechnology
Oct 19, 2017
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162
The addition of a chemical tag on an RNA molecule is the critical switch that inactivates one X chromosome in every cell, ensuring healthy development in all female mammals, according to new research by Weill Cornell Medicine ...
Biotechnology
Sep 19, 2016
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23
Early in the development of female embryos, a crucial event occurs in all cells: An X chromosome is silenced. Whereas males have only one X chromosome, females have two—which means they can have twice as many proteins generated ...
Biotechnology
Aug 8, 2016
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49
Possessing two X chromosomes is a double-edged sword, immunologically speaking. Females are better at fighting off infection than males, but they are also more susceptible to many autoimmune conditions, such as lupus.
Biotechnology
Mar 21, 2016
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12
Nearly every girl and woman on Earth carries two X chromosomes in nearly every one of her cells—but one of them does (mostly) nothing. That's because it's been silenced, keeping most of its DNA locked up and unread like ...
Biotechnology
Jan 8, 2016
1
52
Each baby girl starts out with two X chromosomes, but to be healthy she only needs the genes from one. The extra X chromosome gets trussed up and shut down in the earliest stages of development.
Cell & Microbiology
May 13, 2015
0
75
Researchers at Caltech have discovered how an abundant class of RNA genes, called long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, pronounced link RNAs) can regulate key genes. By studying an important lncRNA, called Xist, the scientists identified ...
Biotechnology
Apr 27, 2015
1
76
Many proteins interact with an RNA molecule called Xist to coat and silence one X chromosome in every female cell. Learning how genes are targeted and silenced may help researchers studying sex-specific diseases.
Biotechnology
Apr 3, 2015
26
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