Getting off the ground state: X chromosome inactivation knocks down barriers to differentiation

Robert Morey; Louise C Laurent

doi:10.1016/j.stem.2014.01.012

Getting off the ground state: X chromosome inactivation knocks down barriers to differentiation

Cell Stem Cell. 2014 Feb 6;14(2):131-2. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2014.01.012.

Authors

Robert Morey¹, Louise C Laurent²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
² Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. Electronic address: llaurent@ucsd.edu.

Abstract

Female mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) contain two active X chromosomes, with one undergoing random inactivation upon differentiation. Schulz et al. (2014) now demonstrate that the presence of two active X chromosomes in mESCs prevents exit from pluripotency by blocking MAPK signaling, ensuring synchronization between X chromosome dosage compensation and development.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Animals
Humans
Killer Cells, Natural / physiology*

Grants and funding

UH2 TR000906/TR/NCATS NIH HHS/United States