Title: | Asynchronous replication and autosome-pair non-equivalence in human embryonic stem cells |
Author(s): | Dutta D; Ensminger AW; Zucker JP; Chess A; |
Address: | "Center For Human Genetic Research and Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Simches Research Center, Boston, MA, USA" |
DOI: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0004970 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 1932-6203 (Electronic) 1932-6203 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "A number of mammalian genes exhibit the unusual properties of random monoallelic expression and random asynchronous replication. Such exceptional genes include genes subject to X inactivation and autosomal genes including odorant receptors, immunoglobulins, interleukins, pheromone receptors, and p120 catenin. In differentiated cells, random asynchronous replication of interspersed autosomal genes is coordinated at the whole chromosome level, indicative of chromosome-pair non-equivalence. Here we have investigated the replication pattern of the random asynchronously replicating genes in undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells, using fluorescence in situ hybridization based assay. We show that allele-specific replication of X-linked genes and random monoallelic autosomal genes occur in human embryonic stem cells. The direction of replication is coordinated at the whole chromosome level and can cross the centromere, indicating the existence of autosome-pair non-equivalence in human embryonic stem cells. These results suggest that epigenetic mechanism(s) that randomly distinguish between two parental alleles are emerging in the cells of the inner cell mass, the source of human embryonic stem cells" |
Keywords: | "Alleles Animals *Chromosomes, Human Coculture Techniques *DNA Replication Embryonic Stem Cells/*cytology Epigenesis, Genetic Humans In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence Mice;" |
Notes: | "MedlineDutta, Devkanya Ensminger, Alexander W Zucker, Jacob P Chess, Andrew eng Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural 2009/03/28 PLoS One. 2009; 4(3):e4970. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004970. Epub 2009 Mar 27" |