Parallels between Mammalian Mechanisms of Monoallelic Gene Expression

Publication date: Available online 11 September 2018Source: Trends in GeneticsAuthor(s): Ahmed Amine Khamlichi, Robert FeilDifferent types of monoallelic gene expression are present in mammals, some of which are highly flexible, whereas others are more rigid. These include allelic exclusion at antigen receptor loci, the expression of olfactory receptor genes, genomic imprinting, X-chromosome inactivation, and random monoallelic expression (MAE). Although these processes play diverse biological roles, and arose through different selective pressures, the underlying epigenetic mechanisms show striking resemblances. Regulatory transcriptional events are important in all systems, particularly in the specification of MAE. Combined with comparative studies between species, this suggests that the different MAE systems found in mammals may have evolved from analogous ancestral processes.

Source: Trends in Genetics - September 12, 2018 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Source Type: research