7.342  The X in Sex: A Genetic, Medical, and Evolutionary view of the X chromosome

What do colorblindness, Queen Victoria, and ligers (hybrids generated by male lions and female tigers) have to do with the X chromosome? This course will explore a diverse collection of striking biological phenomena associated with the X chromosome. The X chromosome is the most intensively studied chromosome in medical genetics; genes for over 300 diseases have been mapped to it. We will examine the genetic basis and significance of several X-linked mutations (e.g., the mutation proving the chromosome theory of inheritance and mutations that cause sex reversal). We will also discuss why men are more likely than women to display X-linked traits. This X-inequality between the sexes (XY males, XX females) raises an important biological question: how do males, with their single X chromosome per cell, and females, with two, balance their relative levels of X-linked gene expression? We will look at the different mechanisms by which X chromosome gene expression is equalized in mammals, flies, and worms and how these mechanisms can yield unusual phenotypes, such as calico cats, almost all of which are female. We will also discuss the evolutionary history of the X chromosome, considering questions such as: how did the X and Y chromosomes evolve from an ordinary pair of autosomes? what role do X-linked genes play in the male sterility of hybrid organisms, such as ligers, mules or zorses? and what can the X chromosome tell us about the speciation of humans? Throughout our discussions of the X chromosome we will use both recent and classic primary research papers to learn about this chromosome’s fascinating biology.

This course is one of many Advanced Undergraduate Seminars offered by the Biology Department at MIT. These seminars are tailored for students with an interest in using primary research literature to discuss and learn about current biological research in a highly interactive setting.