Re-Write The Textbooks: Key Genetic Phenomenon Shown To Be Different Than Believed

Because females carry two copies of the X chromosome to males’ one X and one Y, they harbor a potentially toxic double dose of the over 1000 genes that reside on the X chromosome. To compensate for this imbalance, mammals such as mice and humans shut down one entire X-chromosome through a phenomenon known as X-inactivation. For almost two decades, researchers have believed that one particular gene, called Xist, provides the molecular trigger of X-inactivation. A new study disputes current scientific belief by showing that X-inactivation can occur even in the absence of a gene previously thought to be the trigger of the process.

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