Guilt by association: non-coding RNAs, chromosome-specific proteins and dosage compensation in Drosophila

• Published in: Trends in Genetics 1999-11, Vol.15 (11), p.454-458
• Main Authors: Stuckenholz, Carsten, Kageyama, Yuji, Kuroda, Mitzi I
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: acetylation; Animals; binding proteins; Biological and medical sciences; Chromatin; Chromatin - genetics; Chromatin - ultrastructure; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone - genetics; Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone - physiology; Classical genetics, quantitative genetics, hybrids; Dosage compensation; Dosage Compensation, Genetic; Drosophila melanogaster; Drosophila melanogaster - genetics; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Genetics of eukaryotes. Biological and molecular evolution; histones; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Insect Proteins - genetics; Insect Proteins - physiology; Invertebrata; literature reviews; Male; male-specific lethal 1 protein; males; Models, Genetic; MSL; Non-coding RNA; RNA; roX RNA; X chromosome; X Chromosome - genetics; Xist
• ISSN: 0168-9525
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-9525(99)01855-7

Dosage compensation is a striking example of the interplay between gene-specific regulation and chromosomal architecture. This process has evolved to make X-linked gene expression equivalent in males with one X chromosome and females with two. Examining species at the molecular level has shown that dosage compensation is mediated by sex-specific factors that decorate the X chromosomes to regulate chromatin structure and gene expression. In Drosophila, dosage compensation is achieved, at least in part, through site-specific histone H4 acetylation, which is modulated by a male- and X-specific protein complex. The discovery of non-coding RNAs that ‘paint’ dosage-compensated X chromosomes in mammals and in Drosophila suggests that RNAs play an intriguing, unexpected role in the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression.