A prominent and conserved role for YY1 in Xist transcriptional activation

Mélanie Makhlouf, Jean-François Ouimette, Andrew Oldfield, Pablo Navarro, Damien Neuillet and Claire Rougeulle ()
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Mélanie Makhlouf: CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate
Jean-François Ouimette: CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate
Andrew Oldfield: CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate
Pablo Navarro: CNRS, URA2578 Institute Pasteur
Damien Neuillet: CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate
Claire Rougeulle: CNRS, UMR7216 Epigenetics and Cell Fate

Nature Communications, 2014, vol. 5, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Accumulation of the noncoding RNA Xist on one X chromosome in female cells is a hallmark of X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) in eutherians. Here we uncover an essential function for the ubiquitous autosomal transcription factor Yin-Yang 1 (YY1) in the transcriptional activation of Xist in both human and mouse. We show that loss of YY1 prevents Xist upregulation during the initiation and maintenance of X-inactivation, and that YY1 binds directly the Xist 5′ region to trigger the activity of the Xist promoter. Binding of YY1 to the Xist 5′ region before XCI competes with the Xist repressor REX1, whereas DNA methylation controls mono-allelic fixation of YY1 to Xist at the onset of XCI. YY1 is thus the first autosomal activating factor involved in a fundamental and conserved pathway of Xist regulation that ensures the asymmetric transcriptional upregulation of the master regulator of XCI.

Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:5:y:2014:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms5878

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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5878

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