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Molecular and Cellular Biology, September 2008, p. 5583-5594, Vol. 28, No. 18
0270-7306/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/MCB.02269-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Xist RNA Is Confined to the Nuclear Territory of the Silenced X Chromosome throughout the Cell Cycle {triangledown} ,{dagger}

Iris Jonkers,1,2 Kim Monkhorst,1,2 Eveline Rentmeester,2 J. Anton Grootegoed,2 Frank Grosveld,1 and Joost Gribnau2*

Department of Cell Biology,1 Department of Reproduction and Development, Erasmus MC-University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands2

Received 21 December 2007/ Returned for modification 4 February 2008/ Accepted 4 July 2008

In mammalian female cells, one X chromosome is inactivated to prevent a dose difference in the expression of X-encoded proteins between males and females. Xist RNA, required for X chromosome inactivation, is transcribed from the future inactivated X chromosome (Xi), where it spreads in cis, to initiate silencing. We have analyzed Xist RNA transcription and localization throughout the cell cycle. It was found that Xist transcription is constant and that the mature RNA remains attached to the Xi throughout mitosis. Diploid and tetraploid cell lines with an MS2-tagged Xist gene were used to investigate spreading of Xist. Most XXXXMS2 tetraploid mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells inactivate the XMS2 chromosome and one other X chromosome. Analysis of cells with two Xi's indicates that Xist RNA is retained by the Xi of its origin and does not spread in trans. Also, in XXMS2 diploid mouse ES cells with an autosomal Xist transgene, there is no trans exchange of Xist RNA from the Xi to the autosome. We propose that Xist RNA does not dissociate from the Xi of its origin, which precludes a model of diffusion-mediated trans spreading of Xist RNA.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Erasmus MC, Department of Reproduction and Development, Room Ee 09-71, P.O. Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Phone: 31-10-7043069. Fax: 31-10-7044736. E-mail: j.gribnau{at}erasmusmc.nl

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 14 July 2008.

{dagger} Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://mcb.asm.org/.

Molecular and Cellular Biology, September 2008, p. 5583-5594, Vol. 28, No. 18
0270-7306/08/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/MCB.02269-07
Copyright © 2008, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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