X-chromosome inactivation and cell memory

Mammalian X-chromosome inactivation is an excellent example of the faithful maintenance of a determined chromosomal state. As such, it may provide insight into the mechanisms for cell memory, defined as the faithful maintenance of a determined state in clonally derived progeny cells. We review here the aspects of X-chromosome inactivation that are relevant to cell memory and discuss the various molecular mechanisms that have been proposed to explain its occurrence, with emphasis on DNA methylation and a recently proposed mechanism that depends on the timing of replication.