Xist RNA repeat E is essential for ASH2L recruitment to the inactive X and regulates histone modifications and escape gene expression

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006890
• Publication Date: 2017-07-07T17:29:06Z
• Authors: Minghui Yue; Akiyo Ogawa; Norishige Yamada; John Lalith Charl...; Artem Barski; Yuya Ogawa
• Keywords: XIST

Long non-coding RNA Xist plays a crucial role in establishing and maintaining X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) which is paradigm of long RNA-mediated gene regulation. has Xist-specific repeat elements A-F are conserved among eutherian mammals, underscoring their functional importance. Here we report that E, element the exon 7, interacts with ASH2L contributes to maintenance escape expression level on inactive (Xi) during XCI. The E-deletion mutant female ES cells show depletion from Xi upon differentiation. Furthermore, subset genes exhibits unexpectedly higher E than expressing wildtype X-inactivation, whereas silencing X-linked non-escape not affected. We discuss implications these results understand for histone modifications regulation random inactivation.