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First published online October 30, 2006

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SCF opens up for dosage compensation

In Drosophila, equal gene expression from the sex chromosomes in males and females (dosage compensation) is achieved by hypertranscription from the single X chromosome in male flies. Furuhashi and colleagues now identify DNA supercoiling factor (SCF), a protein that generates negative supercoils in DNA, as an important player in this process (see p. 4475). They show that SCF knockdown by RNAi causes male-specific reduction of X-linked gene expression and male lethality. SCF, they report, colocalizes along the X chromosome with the male-specific lethality (MSL) complex, which is required for dosage compensation, and overexpression of SCF gives the X chromosome a bloated appearance. This phenotype depends on the MSL component MOF, a histone acetyltransferase, and is suppressed by overexpression of the chromatin remodelling protein ISWI, which antagonizes MOF activity. The researchers conclude that by counteracting ISWI action, SCF helps to form and/or maintain the transcriptionally active open chromatin that is needed for X chromosome hypertranscription in male flies.

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Related articles in Development:

DNA supercoiling factor contributes to dosage compensation in Drosophila

Hirofumi Furuhashi, Mikage Nakajima, and Susumu Hirose
Development 2006 133: 4475-4483. [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Related articles in Development Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?