Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41083481›Full record

ArticleNature communications2025

Multi-layered dosage compensation of the avian Z chromosome by increased transcriptional burst frequency and elevated translational rates.

Natali Papanicolaou, Antonio Lentini, Sebastian Wettersten, Michael Hagemann-Jensen, Annika Krüger, Jilin Zhang, Christos Coucoravas, Ioannis Petrosian, Xian Xin, Ilhan Ceyhan and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nature communications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Natali Papanicolaou *Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2931-3241
Antonio Lentini *Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1239-5495
Sebastian WetterstenDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Michael Hagemann-JensenDepartment of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6423-8216
Annika KrügerDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2482-0316
Jilin ZhangDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9976-1605
Christos CoucoravasDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ioannis PetrosianDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Xian XinDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1460-5978
Ilhan CeyhanDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-9504-6647
Joanna RorbachDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2891-2840
Dominic WrightAVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology Group, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2329-2635
Björn ReiniusDepartment of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. bjorn.reinius@ki.se.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7021-5248

Funding

Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse (Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation) 2021.0142Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse (Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation) 2022.0146Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning (Swedish Society for Medical Research) CG-22-0260Svenska Sällskapet för Medicinsk Forskning (Swedish Society for Medical Research) PD20-0217Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council) 2022-01620
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Sex-chromosome dosage poses a challenge for heterogametic species in maintaining the proper balance of gene products across chromosomes in each sex. While therian mammals (XX/XY system) achieve near-perfect balance of X-chromosome mRNAs through X-upregulation and X-inactivation, birds (ZW/ZZ system) have been found to lack efficient compensation at RNA level, challenging the necessity of resolving major gene-dosage asymmetries in avian cells. Through comprehensive allele-resolved multiome analyses, we examine dosage compensation in female (ZW), male (ZZ), and rare intersex (ZZW) chicken. Our data reveal that females upregulate their single Z chromosome through increased transcriptional burst frequency, mirroring mammalian X upregulation. Z-protein levels are further balanced in females through enhanced translation efficiency. Additionally, we present a global analysis of promoter elements regulating transcriptional burst kinetics in birds, revealing evolutionary conservation of the genomic encoding of burst kinetics between birds and mammals. Our study provides insights into the regulation of avian dosage compensation, and when considering all regulatory layers collectively, an unexpected similarity between avian and mammalian dosage compensation becomes apparent.

Indexed as

ChickensDosage Compensation, GeneticProtein BiosynthesisSex ChromosomesTranscription, GeneticAnimalsFemaleMalePromoter Regions, Genetic

Identifiers

PMID41083481
PMCPMC12518621

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.