Jc. Lucchesi, DOSAGE COMPENSATION IN FLIES AND WORMS - THE UPS AND DOWNS OF X-CHROMOSOME REGULATION, Current opinion in genetics & development, 8(2), 1998, pp. 179-184
Dosage compensation ensures that individuals with a single X chromosom
e have the same amount of most X-linked gene products as those with tw
o. In Drosophila, this equalization is achieved by a two-fold enhancem
ent of the lever of transcription of the X in males (XY) relative to e
ach X chromosome in females (XX). In Caenorhabditis, equalization of X
-linked gene products between hermaphrodites (XX) and males (XO) is ac
hieved by decreasing the activity of genes in the former. These two di
fferent solutions to the common problem of unequal dosage of X-linked
genes in different sexes provide invaluable paradigms for the study of
gene regulation at the level of chromatin remodeling. (C) Current Bio
logy Ltd ISSN 0959-437X.