X-chromosome upregulation is driven by increased burst frequency

• Ohno's hypothesis postulates that X-chromosome upregulation rectifies X-dose imbalance relative to autosomal genes, present in two active copies per cell. Here we dissected X-upregulation into kinetics of transcription, inferred from allele-specific single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) data from somatic mouse cells. We confirmed increased X-chromosome expression in female and male somatic cells, and remarkably found that the X-chromosome achieved upregulation by elevated burst frequencies. By monitoring differentiating female embryonic stem cells, we found that elevated burst frequency established on the active X-chromosome as X-inactivation occurred on the other allele. This provides mechanistic insights into X-chromosome upregulation.

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