X: A mosaic with XIST
Carolyn Brown’s laboratory studies the mechanism of human X chromosome inactivation – the process that equalizes the expression of X-linked genes between males and females.
X chromosome inactivation occurs early during mammalian development to transcriptionally silence one of the pair of X chromosomes in females, thereby achieving dosage equivalence with males who have a single X chromosome and the sex-determining Y chromosome. Research in the lab is directed towards understanding both the mechanisms involved in the inactivation process and the clinical implications of X chromosome inactivation in females.
