How X-linked sequence variation shapes organismal development
This is a hybrid event - with the speaker attending in-person and viewable on Teams.
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) generates clonal heterogeneity within XX individuals. Combined with sequence variation between human X chromosomes, XCI gives rise to intra-individual clonal diversity, whereby two sets of clones express mutually exclusive sequence variants present on one or the other X chromosome. Here we ask whether such clones merely co-exist, or potentially interact with each other to shape the contribution of X-linked diversity to organismal development. To address this question, we focus on X-linked coding variation in the human STAG2 gene. Stag2variant clones contribute to most tissues at the expected frequencies, but fail to form lymphocytes in Stag2wild-type Stag2variant mouse models. Unexpectedly, the absence of Stag2variant clones from the lymphoid compartment is due not solely to cell-intrinsic defects, but requires continuous competition by Stag2wild-type clones. These findings show that interactions between epigenetically diverse clones, which may operate in any XX individual, can shape the contribution of X-linked genetic diversity to specific cell types and tissues.
Date: 13 June 2024, 12:00 (Thursday, 8th week, Trinity 2024)
Venue: MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Headington OX3 9DS
Venue Details: Seminar Room
Speaker: Professor Matthias Merkenschlager (Imperial College London)
Organising department: MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine
Organiser: Yasmine Saito (Weatherall Institute, University of Oxford)
Host: Felice Tsang (MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine)
Part of: WIMM THURSDAY SEMINARS
Booking required?: Recommended
Booking email: seminar.admin@imm.ox.ac.uk
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Yasmine Saito