Barbara Panning, Ph.D.

Research

X chromosome inactivation is among the most fascinating examples of epigenetic regulation of gene expression. The transcriptional repression of one X chromosome in female somatic cells equalizes X-linked gene dosage between females and males. The Xist gene is crucial to initiate the X chromosome-wide alteration in chromatin structure that is restricted to one of two otherwise equivalent X chromosomes. The work in my lab is aimed at understanding three fundamentally important aspects of X-inactivation. How does Xist RNA function to alter chromatin structure? How is Xist developmentally regulated? And, how is a two-fold (or more) difference in X chromosome number sensed by the cell to restrict X-inactivation to cells with multiple X chromosomes?