Differentially methylated CpG island within human XIST mediates alternative P2 transcription and YY1 binding

X-chromosome inactivation silences one X chromosome in females to achieve dosage compensation with the single X chromosome in males. While most genes are silenced on the inactive X chromosome, the gene for the long non-coding RNA XIST is silenced on the active X chromosome and expressed from the inactive X chromosome with which the XIST RNA associates, triggering silencing of the chromosome.