Requirement for Xist in X chromosome inactivation

Penny, Graeme D.
Kay, Graham F.
Sheardown, Steven A.
Rastan, Sohaila
Brockdorff, Neil

Section of Comparative Biology, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 ONN, UK.
(Kay, Rastan) Present addresses: Queensland Institute of Medical Research, The Bancroft Centre, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, Q4029, Australia (G.F.K.); and The Medical Research Council, 20 Park Crescent, London W1N 4AL, UK (S.R.).
(Brockdorff) To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Nature 379(6561):p 131-137, January 11, 1996.

The Xist gene has been proposed as a candidate for the X inactivation centre, the master regulatory switch locus that controls X chromosome inactivation. So far this hypothesis has been supported solely by indirect evidence. Here we describe gene targeting of Xist, and provide evidence for its absolute requirement in the process of X chromosome inactivation.