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roX RNAs and Genome Regulation in Drosophila Melanogaster

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Long Non-Coding RNAs

Part of the book series: Progress in Molecular and Subcellular Biology ((PMSB,volume 51))

Abstract

Organisms with dimorphic sex chromosomes suffer a potentially lethal imbalance in gene expression in one sex. Addressing this fundamental problem can be considered the first, and most essential, aspect of sexual differentiation. In the model organisms Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, and mouse, expression from X-linked genes is modulated by selective recruitment of chromatin-modifying complexes to X chromatin. In both flies and mammals, large noncoding RNAs have a central role in recruitment and activity of these complexes. This review will summarize current knowledge of the function of the noncoding roX genes in this process in Drosophila. Identification of an autosomal function for the roX RNAs raises intriguing questions about the origin of the modern dosage compensation system in flies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Wayne State University, 5047 Gullen Mall, Detroit, MI, 48202, USA

    S. Kiran Koya & Victoria H. Meller

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  1. S. Kiran Koya
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  2. Victoria H. Meller
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Correspondence to Victoria H. Meller .

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  1. Center for Marine Research, Ruder Boskovic Institute, Bijenicka 54, Zagreb, 10001, Croatia

    Durdica Ugarkovic

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Koya, S.K., Meller, V.H. (2011). roX RNAs and Genome Regulation in Drosophila Melanogaster . In: Ugarkovic, D. (eds) Long Non-Coding RNAs. Progress in Molecular and Subcellular Biology(), vol 51. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-16502-3_7

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