Dosage compensation of the sex chromosomes and autosomes

Males are XY and females are XX in most mammalian species. Other species such as birds have a different sex chromosome make-up: ZZ in males and ZW in females. In both types of organisms one of the sex chromosomes, Y or W, has degenerated due to lack of recombination with its respective homolog X or Z. Since autosomes are present in two copies in diploid organisms the heterogametic sex has become a natural “aneuploid” with haploinsufficiency for X- or Z-linked genes. Specific mechanisms have evolved to restore a balance between critical gene products throughout the genome and between males and females. Some of these mechanisms were co-opted from and/or added to compensatory processes that alleviate autosomal aneuploidy. Surprisingly, several modes of dosage compensation have evolved. In this review we will consider the evidence for dosage compensation and the molecular mechanisms implicated.