In:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 113, No. 14 ( 2016-04-05)
Abstract:
Females have a greater immunological advantage than men, yet they are more prone to autoimmune disorders. The basis for this sex bias lies in the X chromosome, which contains many immunity-related genes. Female mammals use X chromosome inactivation (XCI) to generate a transcriptionally silent inactive X chromosome (Xi) enriched with heterochromatic modifications and XIST/Xist RNA, which equalizes gene expression between the sexes. Here, we examine the maintenance of XCI in lymphocytes from females in mice and humans. Strikingly, we find that mature naïve T and B cells have dispersed patterns of XIST/Xist RNA, and they lack the typical heterochromatic modifications of the Xi. In vitro activation of lymphocytes triggers the return of XIST/Xist RNA transcripts and some chromatin marks (H3K27me3, ubiquitin-H2A) to the Xi. Single-cell RNA FISH analysis of female T cells revealed that the X-linked immunity genes CD40LG and CXCR3 are biallelically expressed in some cells. Using knockout and knockdown approaches, we find that Xist RNA-binding proteins, YY1 and hnRNPU, are critical for recruitment of XIST/Xist RNA back to the Xi. Furthermore, we examined B cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disorder with a strong female bias, and observed different XIST RNA localization patterns, evidence of biallelic expression of immunity-related genes, and increased transcription of these genes. We propose that the Xi in female lymphocytes is predisposed to become partially reactivated and to overexpress immunity-related genes, providing the first mechanistic evidence to our knowledge for the enhanced immunity of females and their increased susceptibility for autoimmunity.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0027-8424
,
1091-6490
DOI:
10.1073/pnas.1520113113
Language:
English
Publisher:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publication Date:
2016
detail.hit.zdb_id:
209104-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1461794-8
SSG:
11
SSG:
12
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