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X-chromosome reactivation

Slow awakening of the silent X chromosome in female primordial germ cells

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology volume 32, pages 777–779 (2025)Cite this article

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Programmed reactivation of the inactive X chromosome in mammals happens in female primordial germ cells (PGCs) to prepare for meiosis and the generation of haploid germ cells that contain a single active X chromosome. Two recent publications clarify the kinetics of X-chromosome reactivation (XCR) in vivo and implicate specific epigenetic modifications in the process.

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Fig. 1: Stepwise reactivation of the inactive X chromosome in PGCs.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants GM131745 and HG011586 from the National Institutes of Health.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Christine M. Disteche & Xinxian Deng

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA

    Christine M. Disteche

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  1. Christine M. Disteche
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  2. Xinxian Deng
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Correspondence to Christine M. Disteche.

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Disteche, C.M., Deng, X. Slow awakening of the silent X chromosome in female primordial germ cells. Nat Struct Mol Biol 32, 777–779 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41594-025-01550-4

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