Fig. 7

Proposed mechanism of Xist-mediated female-specific gene dysregulation in Fbxl10 ^T/T embryos. Under this model the overexpression of Xist RNA and the underexpression of proteins that bind to Xist RNA results in the formation of increased levels of aberrant Xist RNA–protein complexes that are heterogeneous and which induce neomorphic gene dysregulation, primarily in females and largely affecting X-linked genes. Dysregulation of autosomal genes in female embryos could result from the direct effects of mistargeted abnormal Xist complexes or from the downregulation of transcription factor genes on the active X chromosome by abnormal Xist–protein complexes