Small depolarization of the plasma membrane triggers the opening of voltage- sensitive Ca2+ channels

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 6885

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

DNA methylation and macroH2A contribute to the stable repression of the inactive X chromosome  A. Wutz and J. Gribnau, Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 17 (2007): 387–393. inactive specific transcript), which is stably expressed only on the inactive X chromosome.

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 6886

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Recruitment of Polycomb repressor complexes (PRC1 and PRC2), which trigger a series of chromosome-wide histone modifications (H2AK119 ubiquitination, H3K27 methylation, H4K20 methylation, and H4 deacetylation). Late in the process, an inactive X-specific histone variant, macroH2A

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 6887

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Inactivation of the X chromosome in females is governed by the n–1 rule

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 6888

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Regardless of how many X chromosomes are present, all but one will be inactivated. 

In normal females there are of course two X chromosomes, but in rare cases where nondisjunction has generated a 3X or greater genotype, only one X chromosome remains active

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 6889

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Xic is a cis-acting locus that contains the information necessary to count X chromosomes and inactivate all copies but one. Inactivation spreads from Xic along the entire X chromosome.

TLS Online TPP Program

#Id: 6890

#Unit 3. Fundamental Processes

Xic is a complex genetic locus that expresses several long noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs). The most important of these is a gene called Xist (X  (X inactive specific transcript), which is stably expressed only on the inactive X chromosome.