Unusual pPtterns of X Chromosome Inactivation in Immune Cells (IMAGE)

University of Pennsylvania

Unusual pPtterns of X Chromosome Inactivation in Immune Cells

Caption

Xist (in pink), an RNA molecule responsible for inactivating one of a female's two X chromosomes, is not tightly associated with the X chromosome in healthy human female lymphocytes, though it is in other cell types. This incompletely inactivation of genes on the X chromosome, including many immunity-related genes, may help explain why females are predisposed to many autoimmune conditions and also have stronger immune responses than males.

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University of Pennsylvania

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