# Defining the sequence requirements for Xist function in X inactivation

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2020 · $37,288

## Abstract

Project Summary / Abstract
Mammalian genomes encode thousands of long non-coding (lnc) RNAs, many with important functions including
the regulation of gene expression, yet, how lncRNAs function remains largely unexplored. The lncRNA Xist
provides a remarkable model to investigate the function of lncRNAs in gene regulation, as it spreads from its site
of transcription on the X chromosome over the entire chromosome in cis to induce gene silencing, alter chromatin
state, and modulate the three-dimensional chromosome architecture in the process of X-chromosome
inactivation (XCI). XCI is fundamentally important for female mammalian development but, despite its critical
role, the mechanisms by which Xist carries out the various tasks associated with XCI still remain largely unclear.
Recently, our and other labs proposed that Xist fulfills its different roles during XCI, such as gene silencing,
chromatin association, spreading, recruitment of repressive chromatin regulators, membrane-less compartment
formation, through different RNA domains, which in turn recruit different proteins. The 17kb long Xist RNA
consists of a series of conserved repeats, termed A-F, as well as intervening non-repeat regions. Both repeat
and non-repeat regions have been demonstrated to bind proteins, so both types of sequences can form
functional domains. However, except for the A-repeat, which is now known to mediate silencing by recruitment
of the proteins SPEN and RBM15, the function of nearly all other Xist sequences is still unknown. In this proposal,
I will determine the Xist domains required for the initiation and maintenance of XCI in female mESCs. I will
characterize an embryonic stem cell (ESC) line that carries a deletion of the C-repeat of Xist, which I have
generated, to determine the role that this domain plays in XCI. In addition, I will utilize a unique XCI reporter
system that I have developed in mouse ESCs, to systematically identify additional functional Xist domains and
begin to understand their function. Furthermore, I propose to use a forced recruitment system and a novel protein
degradation system to characterize how Xist interactors contribute to XCI. Through these experiments, I will be
able to examine the molecular mechanisms of specific Xist-protein interactions, to reveal the means by which
Xist, through its RNA domains, integrates different functions. The proposed studies will provide new paradigms
for regulation of gene expression by lncRNAs, reveal important insights into the molecular regulation of XCI by
Xist, and uncover novel roles of RNA-binding proteins.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9988833
- **Project number:** 5F31HD097996-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Anthony Chun-Yu Chau
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $37,288
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-01 → 2021-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9988833

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9988833, Defining the sequence requirements for Xist function in X inactivation (5F31HD097996-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9988833. Licensed CC0.

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