Live imaging of X chromosome inactivation and reactivation dynamics

The epigenetic phenomenon called X chromosome inactivation plays critical roles in female development in eutherian mammals, and has attracted attention in the fields of developmental biology and regenerative biology in efforts to understand the pluripotency of stem cells. X chromosome inactivation is routinely studied after cell fixation, but live imaging is increasingly being required to improve our understanding of the dynamics and kinetics of X chromosome inactivation and reactivation processes. Here, we describe our live imaging method to monitor the epigenetic status of X chromosomes using a gene knock‐in mouse strain named “Momiji” and give an overview of the application of this strain as a resource for biological and stem cell research. X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is commonly studied in cells after fixation, but live imaging is increasingly being required to improve our understanding of the kinetics of XCI and X chromosome reactivation (XCR). Recently, we developed a live‐imaging method using a transgenic mouse strain named “Momiji” to monitor XCI and XCR. In this review, we focus on the detection methods of XCI, comparing conventional methods with those using our Momiji mice, and discuss several applications of this strain as a resource for studies in developmental biology, stem cell research, and other fields.
Source: Development, Growth and Differentiation - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Review Article Source Type: research