X-chromosome inactivation: closing in on proteins that bind Xist RNA

X inactivation is the developmentally regulated silencing of a single X chromosome in XX female mammals. In recent years, the Xist gene has been revealed as the master regulatory switch controlling this process. Parental imprinting and/or counting mechanisms ensure that Xist is expressed only on the inactive X chromosome. Chromosome silencing then results from the accumulation of the Xist RNA silencing signal, in cis, over the entire length of the X chromosome. A key issue has been to identify the factors that interact with Xist RNA to initiate heritable gene silencing. This review discusses recent progress that has put this goal in sight.     

X Chromosome Inactivation and Xist Evolution in a Rodent Lacking LINE-1 Activity

Dosage compensation in eutherian mammals occurs by inactivation of one X chromosome in females. Silencing of that X chromosome is initiated by Xist, a large non-coding RNA, whose coating of the chromosome extends in cis from the X inactivation center. LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons have been implicated as possible players for propagation of the Xist signal, but it has remained unclear whether they are essential components. We previously identified a group of South American rodents in which L1 retrotransposition ceased over 8 million years ago and have now determined that at least one species of these rodents, Oryzomys palustris, still retains X inactivation. We have also isolated and analyzed the majority of the Xist RNA from O. palustris and a sister species retaining L1 activity, Sigmodon hispidus, to determine if evolution in these sequences has left signatures that might suggest a critical role for L1 elements in Xist function. Comparison of rates of Xist evolution in the two species fails to support L1 involvement, although other explanations are possible. Similarly, comparison of known repeats and potential RNA secondary structures reveals no major differences with the exception of a new repeat in O. palustris that has potential to form new secondary structures.     

Recruitment of PRC1 function at the initiation of X inactivation independent of PRC2 and silencing

In mammals X inactivation is initiated by expression of Xist RNA and involves the recruitment of Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) and 2 (PRC2), which mediate chromosome-wide ubiquitination of histone H2A and methylation of histone H3, respectively. Here, we show that PRC1 recruitment by Xist RNA is independent of gene silencing. We find that Eed is required for the recruitment of the canonical PRC1 proteins Mph1 and Mph2 by Xist. However, functional Ring1b is recruited by Xist and mediates ubiquitination of histone H2A in Eed deficient embryonic stem (ES) cells, which lack histone H3 lysine 27 tri-methylation. Xist expression early in ES cell differentiation establishes a chromosomal memory, which allows efficient H2A ubiquitination in differentiated cells and is independent of silencing and PRC2. Our data show that Xist recruits PRC1 components by both PRC2 dependent and independent modes and in the absence of PRC2 function is sufficient for the establishment of Polycomb-based memory systems in X inactivation.     

X-chromosome inactivation and the search for chromosome-wide silencers

X-chromosome inactivation leads to divergent fates for two homologous chromosomes. Whether one X remains active or becomes silenced depends on the activity of Xist, a gene expressed only from the inactive X and whose RNA product 'paints' the X in cis. Recent work argues that Xist RNA itself is the acting agent for initiating the silencing step. Xist RNA contains separable domains for RNA localization and chromosome silencing. While no Xist RNA-interacting factors have been identified, a growing collection of chromatin alterations have been identified on the inactive X, including variant histone H2A composition and histone H3 methylation. Some or all of these changes may be critical for chromosome-wide silencing. As none of the silencing proteins identified so far is unique to X chromosome inactivation, the specificity must partly reside in Xist RNA whose spread along the X orchestrates general silencing factors for this specific task.     

Developmentally regulated alterations in Polycomb repressive complex 1 proteins on the inactive X chromosome

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins belonging to the polycomb (Pc) repressive complexes 1 and 2 (PRC1 and PRC2) maintain homeotic gene silencing. In Drosophila, PRC2 methylates histone H3 on lysine 27, and this epigenetic mark facilitates recruitment of PRC1. Mouse PRC2 (mPRC2) has been implicated in X inactivation, as mPRC2 proteins transiently accumulate on the inactive X chromosome (Xi) at the onset of X inactivation to methylate histone H3 lysine 27 (H3-K27). In this study, we demonstrate that mPRC1 proteins localize to the Xi, and that different mPRC1 proteins accumulate on the Xi during initiation and maintenance of X inactivation in embryonic cells. The Xi accumulation of mPRC1 proteins requires Xist RNA and is not solely regulated by the presence of H3-K27 methylation, as not all cells that exhibit this epigenetic mark on the Xi show Xi enrichment of mPRC1 proteins. Our results implicate mPRC1 in X inactivation and suggest that the regulated assembly of PcG protein complexes on the Xi contributes to this multistep process.     

Rational optimization of the DSL ligase ribozyme with GNRA/receptor interacting modules

The DSL ribozyme is a class of artificial ligase ribozymes with a highly modular architecture, which catalyzes template-directed RNA ligation on a helical substrate module that can be either covalently connected (cis-DSL) or physically separated (trans-DSL) from the catalytic module. Substrate recognition by the catalytic module is promoted by one or two sets of GNRA/receptor interactions acting as clamps in the cis or trans configurations, respectively. In this study, we have rationally designed and analyzed the catalytic and self-assembly properties of several trans-DSL ribozymes with different sets of natural and artificial GNRA-receptor clamps. Two variants newly designed in this study showed significantly enhanced catalytic properties with respect of the original trans-DSL construct. While this work allows dissection of the turnover and catalytic properties of the trans-DSL ribozyme, it also emphasizes the remarkable modularity of RNA tertiary structure for nano-construction of complex functions.     

2-D Structure of the A Region of Xist RNA and Its Implication for PRC2 Association

In placental mammals, inactivation of one of the X chromosomes in female cells ensures sex chromosome dosage compensation. The 17 kb non-coding Xist RNA is crucial to this process and accumulates on the future inactive X chromosome. The most conserved Xist RNA region, the A region, contains eight or nine repeats separated by U-rich spacers. It is implicated in the recruitment of late inactivated X genes to the silencing compartment and likely in the recruitment of complex PRC2. Little is known about the structure of the A region and more generally about Xist RNA structure. Knowledge of its structure is restricted to an NMR study of a single A repeat element. Our study is the first experimental analysis of the structure of the entire A region in solution. By the use of chemical and enzymatic probes and FRET experiments, using oligonucleotides carrying fluorescent dyes, we resolved problems linked to sequence redundancies and established a 2-D structure for the A region that contains two long stem-loop structures each including four repeats. Interactions formed between repeats and between repeats and spacers stabilize these structures. Conservation of the spacer terminal sequences allows formation of such structures in all sequenced Xist RNAs. By combination of RNP affinity chromatography, immunoprecipitation assays, mass spectrometry, and Western blot analysis, we demonstrate that the A region can associate with components of the PRC2 complex in mouse ES cell nuclear extracts. Whilst a single four-repeat motif is able to associate with components of this complex, recruitment of Suz12 is clearly more efficient when the entire A region is present. Our data with their emphasis on the importance of inter-repeat pairing change fundamentally our conception of the 2-D structure of the A region of Xist RNA and support its possible implication in recruitment of the PRC2 complex.