1
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Saker Z, Rizk M, Merie D, Nabha RH, Pariseau NJ, Nabha SM, Makki MI. Insight into brain sex differences of typically developed infants and brain pathologies: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3491-3504. [PMID: 38693604 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
The continually advancing landscape of neuroscientific and imaging research has broadened our comprehension of sex differences encoded in the human brain, expanding from the hypothalamus and sexual behaviour to encompass the entire brain, including its diverse lobes, structures, and functions. However, less is known about sex differences in the brains of neonates and infants, despite their relevance to various sex-linked diseases that develop early in life. In this review, we provide a synopsis of the literature evidence on sex differences in the brains of neonates and infants at the morphological, structural and network levels. We also briefly overview the present evidence on the sex bias in some brain disorders affecting infants and neonates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahraa Saker
- Research Department, Al-Rassoul Al-Aazam Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mahdi Rizk
- School of Health Sciences, Modern University for Business and Science, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Diana Merie
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | - Nicole J Pariseau
- Department of Pediatrics-Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Sanaa M Nabha
- Neuroscience Research Center, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Malek I Makki
- Laboratory of Functional Neurosciences and Pathologies, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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2
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Carvalho E, Dias A, Coelho T, Sousa A, Alves-Ferreira M, Santos M, Lemos C. Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis: a myriad of factors that influence phenotypic variability. J Neurol 2024:10.1007/s00415-024-12509-8. [PMID: 38907862 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-024-12509-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/24/2024]
Abstract
Hereditary transthyretin-related amyloidosis (ATTRv amyloidosis) is a rare and progressively debilitating disease characterized by the deposition of transthyretin (TTR) amyloid fibrils in various organs and tissues, most commonly in the heart and peripheral nerves. This pathological deposition can lead to significant organ dysfunction and, ultimately, organ failure. ATTRv amyloidosis exhibits a broad range of clinical presentations, from purely neurological symptoms to purely cardiac manifestations, as well as mixed phenotypes which result from both neurological and cardiac implications. This wide phenotypical spectrum realistically challenges disease diagnosis and prognosis, especially in individuals without or with an unknown family history. Multiple factors are thought to contribute to this variability, including genetic, epigenetic, and even environmental influences. Understanding these factors is crucial, as they can significantly affect disease expression and progression. This review aims to summarize each of these contributing factors, to help elucidate the current knowledge on the phenotypical variability of ATTRv amyloidosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estefânia Carvalho
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Andreia Dias
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Teresa Coelho
- Unidade Corino de Andrade (UCA), Centro Hospitalar Universitário de Santo António (CHUdSA), Porto, Portugal
| | - Alda Sousa
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Miguel Alves-Ferreira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Center for Preditive and Preventive Genetics (CGPP), Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Mariana Santos
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology (IBMC), Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carolina Lemos
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação Em Saúde (i3S), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
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Sakamuri A, Visniauskas B, Kilanowski-Doroh I, McNally AB, Imulinde A, Kamau A, Sengottaian D, McLachlan J, Anguera M, Mauvais-Jarvis F, Lindsey SH, Ogola BO. Testosterone deficiency promotes arterial stiffening independent of sex chromosome complement. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:46. [PMID: 38845040 PMCID: PMC11155160 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00624-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex hormones and sex chromosomes play a vital role in cardiovascular disease. Testosterone plays a crucial role in men's health. Lower testosterone level is associated with cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases, including inflammation, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. Testosterone replacement is beneficial or neutral to men's cardiovascular health. Testosterone deficiency is associated with cardiovascular events. Testosterone supplementation to hypogonadal men improves libido, increases muscle strength, and enhances mood. We hypothesized that sex chromosomes (XX and XY) interaction with testosterone plays a role in arterial stiffening. METHODS We used four core genotype male mice to understand the inherent contribution of sex hormones and sex chromosome complement in arterial stiffening. Age-matched mice were either gonadal intact or castrated at eight weeks plus an additional eight weeks to clear endogenous sex hormones. This was followed by assessing blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, echocardiography, and ex vivo passive vascular mechanics. RESULTS Arterial stiffening but not blood pressure was more significant in castrated than testes-intact mice independent of sex chromosome complement. Castrated mice showed a leftward shift in stress-strain curves and carotid wall thinning. Sex chromosome complement (XX) in the absence of testosterone increased collagen deposition in the aorta and Kdm6a gene expression. CONCLUSION Testosterone deprivation increases arterial stiffening and vascular wall remodeling. Castration increases Col1α1 in male mice with XX sex chromosome complement. Our study shows decreased aortic contractile genes in castrated mice with XX than XY sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anil Sakamuri
- Vascular Biology Center and Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ariane Imulinde
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Anne Kamau
- Vascular Biology Center and Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Divya Sengottaian
- Vascular Biology Center and Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - John McLachlan
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Montserrat Anguera
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Franck Mauvais-Jarvis
- Tulane Center of Excellence in Sex-Based Biology & Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Southeast Louisiana Veterans Healthcare System Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Deming Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sarah H Lindsey
- Department of Pharmacology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Center of Excellence in Sex-Based Biology & Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Benard O Ogola
- Vascular Biology Center and Department of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Augusta, GA, USA.
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4
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Corbi G, Comegna M, Vinciguerra C, Capasso A, Onorato L, Salucci AM, Rapacciuolo A, Cannavo A. Age and sex mediated effects of estrogen and Β3-adrenergic receptor on cardiovascular pathophysiology. Exp Gerontol 2024; 190:112420. [PMID: 38588751 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2024.112420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Sex differences are consistently identified in determining the prevalence, manifestation, and response to therapies in several systemic disorders, including those affecting the cardiovascular (CV), skeletal muscle, and nervous system. Interestingly, such differences are often more noticeable as we age. For example, premenopausal women experience a lower risk of CV disease than men of the same age. While at an advanced age, with menopause, the risk of cardiovascular diseases and adverse outcomes increases exponentially in women, exceeding that of men. However, this effect appears to be reversed in diseases such as pulmonary hypertension, where women are up to seven times more likely than men to develop an idiopathic form of the disease with symptoms developing ten years earlier than their male counterparts. Explaining this is a complex question. However, several factors and mechanisms have been identified in recent decades, including a role for sex hormones, particularly estrogens and their related receptors. Furthermore, an emerging role in these sex differences has also been suggested for β-adrenergic receptors (βARs), which are essential regulators of mammalian physiology. It has in fact been shown that βARs interact with estrogen receptors (ER), providing further demonstration of their involvement in determining sexual differences. Based on these premises, this review article focused on the β3AR subtype, which shows important activities in adipose tissue but with new and interesting roles in regulating the function of cardiomyocytes and vascular cells. In detail, we examined how β3AR and ER signaling are intertwined and whether there would be sex- and age-dependent specific effects of these receptor systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graziamaria Corbi
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Marika Comegna
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; CEINGE-Advanced Biotechnologies - Franco Salvatore, Naples, Italy
| | - Caterina Vinciguerra
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessio Capasso
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Onorato
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Antonio Rapacciuolo
- Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Alessandro Cannavo
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
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5
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Pottmeier P, Nikolantonaki D, Lanner F, Peuckert C, Jazin E. Sex-biased gene expression during neural differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1341373. [PMID: 38764741 PMCID: PMC11101176 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1341373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the developing human brain are primarily attributed to hormonal influence. Recently however, genetic differences and their impact on the developing nervous system have attracted increased attention. To understand genetically driven sexual dimorphisms in neurodevelopment, we investigated genome-wide gene expression in an in vitro differentiation model of male and female human embryonic stem cell lines (hESC), independent of the effects of human sex hormones. Four male and four female-derived hESC lines were differentiated into a population of mixed neurons over 37 days. Differential gene expression and gene set enrichment analyses were conducted on bulk RNA sequencing data. While similar differentiation tendencies in all cell lines demonstrated the robustness and reproducibility of our differentiation protocol, we found sex-biased gene expression already in undifferentiated ESCs at day 0, but most profoundly after 37 days of differentiation. Male and female cell lines exhibited sex-biased expression of genes involved in neurodevelopment, suggesting that sex influences the differentiation trajectory. Interestingly, the highest contribution to sex differences was found to arise from the male transcriptome, involving both Y chromosome and autosomal genes. We propose 13 sex-biased candidate genes (10 upregulated in male cell lines and 3 in female lines) that are likely to affect neuronal development. Additionally, we confirmed gene dosage compensation of X/Y homologs escaping X chromosome inactivation through their Y homologs and identified a significant overexpression of the Y-linked demethylase UTY and KDM5D in male hESC during neuron development, confirming previous results in neural stem cells. Our results suggest that genetic sex differences affect neuronal differentiation trajectories, which could ultimately contribute to sex biases during human brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Pottmeier
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Danai Nikolantonaki
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Lanner
- Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institute and Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christiane Peuckert
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- The Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elena Jazin
- Department of Organismal Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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6
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Anger JT, Case LK, Baranowski AP, Berger A, Craft RM, Damitz LA, Gabriel R, Harrison T, Kaptein K, Lee S, Murphy AZ, Said E, Smith SA, Thomas DA, Valdés Hernández MDC, Trasvina V, Wesselmann U, Yaksh TL. Pain mechanisms in the transgender individual: a review. FRONTIERS IN PAIN RESEARCH 2024; 5:1241015. [PMID: 38601924 PMCID: PMC11004280 DOI: 10.3389/fpain.2024.1241015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Specific Aim Provide an overview of the literature addressing major areas pertinent to pain in transgender persons and to identify areas of primary relevance for future research. Methods A team of scholars that have previously published on different areas of related research met periodically though zoom conferencing between April 2021 and February 2023 to discuss relevant literature with the goal of providing an overview on the incidence, phenotype, and mechanisms of pain in transgender patients. Review sections were written after gathering information from systematic literature searches of published or publicly available electronic literature to be compiled for publication as part of a topical series on gender and pain in the Frontiers in Pain Research. Results While transgender individuals represent a significant and increasingly visible component of the population, many researchers and clinicians are not well informed about the diversity in gender identity, physiology, hormonal status, and gender-affirming medical procedures utilized by transgender and other gender diverse patients. Transgender and cisgender people present with many of the same medical concerns, but research and treatment of these medical needs must reflect an appreciation of how differences in sex, gender, gender-affirming medical procedures, and minoritized status impact pain. Conclusions While significant advances have occurred in our appreciation of pain, the review indicates the need to support more targeted research on treatment and prevention of pain in transgender individuals. This is particularly relevant both for gender-affirming medical interventions and related medical care. Of particular importance is the need for large long-term follow-up studies to ascertain best practices for such procedures. A multi-disciplinary approach with personalized interventions is of particular importance to move forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer T. Anger
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Laura K. Case
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Andrew P. Baranowski
- Pelvic Pain Medicine and Neuromodulation, University College Hospital Foundation Trust, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ardin Berger
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Rebecca M. Craft
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Lyn Ann Damitz
- Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Rodney Gabriel
- Division of Regional Anesthesia, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Tracy Harrison
- Department of OB/GYN & Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kirsten Kaptein
- Division of Plastic Surgery, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Sanghee Lee
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Anne Z. Murphy
- Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Engy Said
- Division of Regional Anesthesia, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Stacey Abigail Smith
- Division of Infection Disease, The Hope Clinic of Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - David A. Thomas
- Office of Research on Women's Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Maria del C. Valdés Hernández
- Department of Neuroimaging Sciences, Center for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Victor Trasvina
- Department of Urology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ursula Wesselmann
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine/Division of Pain Medicine, Neurology and Psychology, and Consortium for Neuroengineering and Brain-Computer Interfaces, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Tony L. Yaksh
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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7
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Vosberg DE. Sex and Gender in Population Neuroscience. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38509404 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2024_468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
To understand psychiatric and neurological disorders and the structural and functional properties of the human brain, it is essential to consider the roles of sex and gender. In this chapter, I first define sex and gender and describe studies of sex differences in non-human animals. In humans, I describe the sex differences in behavioral and clinical phenotypes and neuroimaging-derived phenotypes, including whole-brain measures, regional subcortical and cortical measures, and structural and functional connectivity. Although structural whole-brain sex differences are large, regional effects (adjusting for whole-brain volumes) are typically much smaller and often fail to replicate. Nevertheless, while an individual neuroimaging feature may have a small effect size, aggregating them in a "maleness/femaleness" score or machine learning multivariate paradigm may prove to be predictive and informative of sex- and gender-related traits. Finally, I conclude by summarizing emerging investigations of gender norms and gender identity and provide methodological recommendations to incorporate sex and gender in population neuroscience research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Vosberg
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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8
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Rio P, Caldarelli M, Chiantore M, Ocarino F, Candelli M, Gasbarrini A, Gambassi G, Cianci R. Immune Cells, Gut Microbiota, and Vaccines: A Gender Perspective. Cells 2024; 13:526. [PMID: 38534370 DOI: 10.3390/cells13060526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The development of preventive and therapeutic vaccines has played a crucial role in preventing infections and treating chronic and non-communicable diseases, respectively. For a long time, the influence of sex differences on modifying health and disease has not been addressed in clinical and preclinical studies. The interaction of genetic, epigenetic, and hormonal factors plays a role in the sex-related differences in the epidemiology of diseases, clinical manifestations, and the response to treatment. Moreover, sex is one of the leading factors influencing the gut microbiota composition, which could further explain the different predisposition to diseases in men and women. In the same way, differences between sexes occur also in the immune response to vaccines. This narrative review aims to highlight these differences, focusing on the immune response to vaccines. Comparative data about immune responses, vaccine effectiveness, and side effects are reviewed. Hence, the intricate interplay between sex, immunity, and the gut microbiota will be discussed for its potential role in the response to vaccination. Embracing a sex-oriented perspective in research may improve the efficacy of the immune response and allow the design of tailored vaccine schedules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierluigi Rio
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Mario Caldarelli
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Monica Chiantore
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca Ocarino
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Marcello Candelli
- Department of Emergency, Anesthesiological and Reanimation Sciences, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Gasbarrini
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Gambassi
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
| | - Rossella Cianci
- Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Catholic University of Rome, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
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9
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Hokanson KC, Hernández C, Deitzler GE, Gaston JE, David MM. Sex shapes gut-microbiota-brain communication and disease. Trends Microbiol 2024; 32:151-161. [PMID: 37813734 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2023.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Research into the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA) has entered a golden age, raising the hope that therapeutics acting on it may offer breakthroughs in the treatment of many illnesses. However, most of this work overlooks a fundamental, yet understudied, biological variable: sex. Sex differences exist at every level of the MGBA. Sex steroids shape the structure of the gut microbiota, and these microbes in turn regulate levels of bioactive sex steroids. These hormones and microbes act on gut sensory enteroendocrine cells, which modulate downstream activity in the enteric nervous system, vagus nerve, and brain. We examine recent advances in this field, and discuss the scientific and moral imperative to include females in biomedical research, using autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as an example.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenton C Hokanson
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
| | | | - Grace E Deitzler
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Jenna E Gaston
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Maude M David
- Department of Microbiology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.
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10
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Celli L, Gasparini P, Biino G, Zannini L, Cardano M. CRISPR/Cas9 mediated Y-chromosome elimination affects human cells transcriptome. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:15. [PMID: 38291538 PMCID: PMC10829266 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01198-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual dimorphism represents a key concept in the comprehension of molecular processes guiding several sex-specific physiological and pathological mechanisms. It has been reported that genes involved in many disorders show a sex-dependent expression pattern. Moreover, the loss of Y chromosome (LOY), found to be a physiological age-driven phenomenon, has been linked to many neurodegenerative and autoimmune disorders, and to an increased cancer risk. These findings drove us towards the consideration that LOY may cause the de-regulation of disease specific networks, involving genes located in both autosomal and sex chromosomes. RESULTS Exploiting the CRISPR/Cas9 and RNA-sequencing technologies, we generated a Y-deficient human cell line that has been investigated for its gene expression profile. Our results showed that LOY can influence the transcriptome displaying relevant enriched biological processes, such as cell migration regulation, angiogenesis and immune response. Interestingly, the ovarian follicle development pathway was found enriched, supporting the female-mimicking profile of male Y-depleted cells. CONCLUSION This study, besides proposing a novel approach to investigate sex-biased physiological and pathological conditions, highlights new roles for the Y chromosome in the sexual dimorphism characterizing human health and diseases. Moreover, this analysis paves the way for the research of new therapeutic approaches for sex dimorphic and LOY-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludovica Celli
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Institute for Biomedical Technologies, National Research Council, Via Fratelli Cervi 93, 20054, Segrate, Italy
| | - Patrizia Gasparini
- Epigenomic and Biomarkers of Solid Tumors, Department of Research, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Via Venezian 1, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Ginevra Biino
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laura Zannini
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
| | - Miriana Cardano
- Istituto di Genetica Molecolare "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza", CNR, 27100, Pavia, Italy.
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11
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Jones SL, De Braga V, Caccese C, Lew J, Elgbeili G, Castellanos-Ryan N, Parent S, Muckle G, Herba CM, Fraser WD, Ducharme S, Barnwell J, Trasler J, Séguin JR, Nguyen TV, Montreuil TC. Prenatal paternal anxiety symptoms predict child DHEA levels and internalizing symptoms during adrenarche. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 17:1217846. [PMID: 38239262 PMCID: PMC10794355 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1217846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study examined (1) whether measures of paternal anxious and depressive symptoms collected prenatally and during a follow-up assessment when the child was in middle childhood, predict child neuroendocrine outcomes, and (2) whether neuroendocrine outcomes are intermediate factors between paternal mental health and child cognitive/behavioral outcomes. Middle childhood coincides with increased autonomy as the child transitions into grade school, and with adrenarche, as the maturing adrenal gland increases secretion of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfated metabolite (DHEA-S), hormones that are implicated in corticolimbic development which regulate emotions and cognition. Methods Participants were recruited from a subsample of a large prospective birth cohort study (3D study). We conducted a follow-up study when children were 6-8 years old (N = 61 families, 36 boys, 25 girls). Parental symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression were assessed via validated self-report questionnaires: prenatally using an in-house anxiety questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D), and at the follow up, using the Beck Anxiety and Beck Depression Inventories. Children provided salivary hormone samples, and their pituitary gland volume was measured from structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans. Child behaviors were measured using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and cognitive outcomes using the WISC-V. Multiple regression analyses were used to test whether paternal mental health symptoms assessed prenatally and during childhood are associated with child neuroendocrine outcomes, adjusting for maternal mental health and child sex. Indirect-effect models assessed whether neuroendocrine factors are important intermediates that link paternal mental health and cognitive/behavioral outcomes. Results (1) Fathers' prenatal anxiety symptoms predicted lower DHEA levels in the children, but not pituitary volume. (2) Higher prenatal paternal anxiety symptoms predicted higher child internalizing symptoms via an indirect pathway of lower child DHEA. No associations were detected between paternal anxiety symptoms measured in childhood, and neuroendocrine outcomes. No child sex differences were detected on any measure. Conclusion These results highlight the often-overlooked role of paternal factors during pregnancy on child development, suggesting that paternal prenatal anxiety symptoms are associated with child neuroendocrine function and in turn internalizing symptoms that manifest at least up to middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sherri Lee Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Victoria De Braga
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- School of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christina Caccese
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jimin Lew
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Guillaume Elgbeili
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Sophie Parent
- School of Psychoeducation, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gina Muckle
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) de Québec, School of Psychology, Laval University, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Catherine M. Herba
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - William D. Fraser
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Centre de Recherche du CHU de Sherbrooke, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC, Canada
| | - Simon Ducharme
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Research Center, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Julia Barnwell
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Human Genetics and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jacquetta Trasler
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Human Genetics and Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean R. Séguin
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tuong-Vi Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Reproductive Psychiatry Program, McGill University Health Centre, Departments of Psychiatry and Obstetrics and Gynecology, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tina C. Montreuil
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire (CHU) Ste-Justine Research Centre, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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12
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Perske C, Sennert M, Fawzy M, Wirmer J, Hadidi AT. Hormone receptor expression in hypospadias. J Pediatr Urol 2023; 19:697.e1-697.e8. [PMID: 37532608 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpurol.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex hormone imbalance in utero is hypothesized to play an important role in the pathogenesis of hypospadias. Due to its easy accessibility, foreskin samples have been used to describe hormone receptor expression in rodents, and both adult and pediatric patients. In this study we conducted a systematic approach to assess hormone receptor expression in pediatric patients with hypospadias compared to healthy controls with a focus on age-matching and differences in severity and degree of hypospadias. METHODS Foreskin samples were collected from 35 children during hypospadias operations (18 distal and 17 proximal hypospadias) and compared with ventral foreskin samples of a control group of 32 children during circumcision (15 age-matched and 17 older boys). The samples were stained with H/E, androgen (AR), estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR). The receptor stainings were blindly evaluated. An Allred score was used to evaluate receptor expression in both the epithelium as well as stroma. RESULTS AR was detected in all cases. AR expression in the stroma was more evident than in the epithelium. AR expression in the hypospadias groups was significantly less than the age matched controls (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the two hypospadias groups nor between the two control groups. Older control group showed significantly elevated levels of AR expression compared to the hypospadias group (p < 0.05). ER was also detected in all cases. The stroma showed more ER than in epithelium. PR was minimal or negative in all samples. CONCLUSION Boys with hypospadias showed significantly weaker expression of androgen receptors than age matched controls. The severity of hypospadias did not influence hormone receptor distribution. AR expression is better observed in the stroma than in the epithelium. There was no difference in ER expression between the hypospadias group (distal or proximal) and age matched normal controls. ER was expressed in larger numbers in normal older preputial tissue. The foreskin of prepubertal boys shows little to no expression of PR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Perske
- Institute for Pathology, University Medical Center Goettingen, Germany
| | - Michael Sennert
- Hypospadias Centre, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Emma and Sana Klinikum Offenbach Hospitals, Germany
| | - Mohammed Fawzy
- Hypospadias Centre, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Emma and Sana Klinikum Offenbach Hospitals, Germany
| | - Johannes Wirmer
- Hypospadias Centre, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Emma and Sana Klinikum Offenbach Hospitals, Germany
| | - Ahmed T Hadidi
- Hypospadias Centre, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Emma and Sana Klinikum Offenbach Hospitals, Germany.
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13
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Rock KD, Folts LM, Zierden HC, Marx-Rattner R, Leu NA, Nugent BM, Bale TL. Developmental transcriptomic patterns can be altered by transgenic overexpression of Uty. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21082. [PMID: 38030664 PMCID: PMC10687263 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47977-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic material encoded on X and Y chromosomes provides the foundation by which biological sex differences are established. Epigenetic regulators expressed on these sex chromosomes, including Kdm6a (Utx), Kdm5c, and Ddx3x have far-reaching impacts on transcriptional control of phenotypic sex differences. Although the functionality of UTY (Kdm6c, the Y-linked homologue of UTX), has been supported by more recent studies, its role in developmental sex differences is not understood. Here we test the hypothesis that UTY is an important transcriptional regulator during development that could contribute to sex-specific phenotypes and disease risks across the lifespan. We generated a random insertion Uty transgenic mouse (Uty-Tg) to overexpress Uty. By comparing transcriptomic profiles in developmental tissues, placenta and hypothalamus, we assessed potential UTY functional activity, comparing Uty-expressing female mice (XX + Uty) with wild-type male (XY) and female (XX) mice. To determine if Uty expression altered physiological or behavioral outcomes, adult mice were phenotypically examined. Uty expression masculinized female gene expression patterns in both the placenta and hypothalamus. Gene ontology (GO) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) consistently identified pathways including immune and synaptic signaling as biological processes associated with UTY. Interestingly, adult females expressing Uty gained less weight and had a greater glucose tolerance compared to wild-type male and female mice when provided a high-fat diet. Utilizing a Uty-overexpressing transgenic mouse, our results provide novel evidence as to a functional transcriptional role for UTY in developing tissues, and a foundation to build on its prospective capacity to influence sex-specific developmental and health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kylie D Rock
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Lillian M Folts
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Hannah C Zierden
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20740, USA
| | - Ruth Marx-Rattner
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Nicolae Adrian Leu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, CU Anschutz Medical Campus, 12800 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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14
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Goodman CV, Green R, DaCosta A, Flora D, Lanphear B, Till C. Sex difference of pre- and post-natal exposure to six developmental neurotoxicants on intellectual abilities: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human studies. Environ Health 2023; 22:80. [PMID: 37978510 PMCID: PMC10655280 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01029-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life exposure to lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybromide diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), organophosphate pesticides (OPPs), and phthalates have been associated with lowered IQ in children. In some studies, these neurotoxicants impact males and females differently. We aimed to examine the sex-specific effects of exposure to developmental neurotoxicants on intelligence (IQ) in a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHOD We screened abstracts published in PsychINFO and PubMed before December 31st, 2021, for empirical studies of six neurotoxicants (lead, mercury, PCBs, PBDEs, OPPs, and phthalates) that (1) used an individualized biomarker; (2) measured exposure during the prenatal period or before age six; and (3) provided effect estimates on general, nonverbal, and/or verbal IQ by sex. We assessed each study for risk of bias and evaluated the certainty of the evidence using Navigation Guide. We performed separate random effect meta-analyses by sex and timing of exposure with subgroup analyses by neurotoxicant. RESULTS Fifty-one studies were included in the systematic review and 20 in the meta-analysis. Prenatal exposure to developmental neurotoxicants was associated with decreased general and nonverbal IQ in males, especially for lead. No significant effects were found for verbal IQ, or postnatal lead exposure and general IQ. Due to the limited number of studies, we were unable to analyze postnatal effects of any of the other neurotoxicants. CONCLUSION During fetal development, males may be more vulnerable than females to general and nonverbal intellectual deficits from neurotoxic exposures, especially from lead. More research is needed to examine the nuanced sex-specific effects found for postnatal exposure to toxic chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly V Goodman
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada.
| | - Rivka Green
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
| | - Allya DaCosta
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
| | - David Flora
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
| | - Bruce Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Christine Till
- Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, M3J 1P3, ON, Canada
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15
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Sakamuri A, Visniauskas B, Kilanowski-Doroh I, McNally A, Imulinde-Sugi A, Kamau A, Sengottaian D, McLachlan J, Anguera M, Mauvais-Jarvis F, Lindsey S, Ogola BO. Testosterone Deficiency Promotes Arterial Stiffening Independent of Sex Chromosome Complement. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3370040. [PMID: 37886462 PMCID: PMC10602149 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3370040/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Background Testosterone plays a vital role in men's health. Lower testosterone level is associated with cardiovascular and cardiometabolic diseases, including inflammation, atherosclerosis, and type 2 diabetes. Testosterone replacement is beneficial or neutral to men's cardiovascular health. Testosterone deficiency is associated with cardiovascular events. Testosterone supplementation to hypogonadal men improves libido, increases muscle strength, and enhances mood. We hypothesized that sex chromosomes (XX and XY) interaction with testosterone plays a role in arterial stiffening. Methods We used four core genotype male mice to understand the inherent contribution of sex hormones and sex chromosome complement in arterial stiffening. Age-matched mice were either gonadal intact or castrated for eight weeks, followed by an assessment of blood pressure, pulse wave velocity, echocardiography, and ex vivo passive vascular mechanics. Results Arterial stiffening but not blood pressure was more significant in castrated than testes-intact mice independent of sex chromosome complement. Castrated mice showed a leftward shift in stress-strain curves and carotid wall thinning. Sex chromosome complement (XX) in the absence of testosterone increased collagen deposition in the aorta and Kdm6a gene expression. Conclusion Testosterone deprivation increases arterial stiffening and vascular wall remodeling. Castration increases Col1α1 in male mice with XX sex chromosome complement. Our study shows decreased aortic contractile genes in castrated mice with XX than XY sex chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Anne Kamau
- Augusta University Medical College of Georgia
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16
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Szakats S, McAtamney A, Cross H, Wilson MJ. Sex-biased gene and microRNA expression in the developing mouse brain is associated with neurodevelopmental functions and neurological phenotypes. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:57. [PMID: 37679839 PMCID: PMC10486049 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00538-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences pose a challenge and an opportunity in biomedical research. Understanding how sex chromosomes and hormones affect disease-causing mechanisms will shed light on the mechanisms underlying predominantly idiopathic sex-biased neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism. Gene expression is a crucial conduit for the influence of sex on developmental processes; therefore, this study focused on sex differences in gene expression and the regulation of gene expression. The increasing interest in microRNAs (miRNAs), small, non-coding RNAs, for their contribution to normal and pathological neurodevelopment prompted us to test how miRNA expression differs between the sexes in the developing brain. METHODS High-throughput sequencing approaches were used to identify transcripts, including miRNAs, that showed significantly different expression between male and female brains on day 15.5 of development (E15.5). RESULTS Robust sex differences were identified for some genes and miRNAs, confirming the influence of biological sex on RNA. Many miRNAs that exhibit the greatest differences between males and females have established roles in neurodevelopment, implying that sex-biased expression may drive sex differences in developmental processes. In addition to highlighting sex differences for individual miRNAs, gene ontology analysis suggested several broad categories in which sex-biased RNAs might act to establish sex differences in the embryonic mouse brain. Finally, mining publicly available SNP data indicated that some sex-biased miRNAs reside near the genomic regions associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings reinforce the importance of cataloguing sex differences in molecular biology research and highlight genes, miRNAs, and pathways of interest that may be important for sexual differentiation in the mouse and possibly the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Szakats
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Alice McAtamney
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Hugh Cross
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Megan J Wilson
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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17
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Edwards TL, Greene CA, Piekos JA, Hellwege JN, Hampton G, Jasper EA, Velez Edwards DR. Challenges and Opportunities for Data Science in Women's Health. Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci 2023; 6:23-45. [PMID: 37040736 PMCID: PMC10877578 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-020722-105958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
The intersection of women's health and data science is a field of research that has historically trailed other fields, but more recently it has gained momentum. This growth is being driven not only by new investigators who are moving into this area but also by the significant opportunities that have emerged in new methodologies, resources, and technologies in data science. Here, we describe some of the resources and methods being used by women's health researchers today to meet challenges in biomedical data science. We also describe the opportunities and limitations of applying these approaches to advance women's health outcomes and the future of the field, with emphasis on repurposing existing methodologies for women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd L Edwards
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
| | - Catherine A Greene
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
- Division of Quantitative Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Piekos
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
- Division of Quantitative Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Jacklyn N Hellwege
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Gabrielle Hampton
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
| | - Elizabeth A Jasper
- Division of Quantitative Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Center for Precision Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Digna R Velez Edwards
- Vanderbilt Genetics Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;
- Division of Quantitative Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
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Delanoue R, Clot C, Leray C, Pihl T, Hudry B. Y chromosome toxicity does not contribute to sex-specific differences in longevity. Nat Ecol Evol 2023; 7:1245-1256. [PMID: 37308701 PMCID: PMC10406604 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-023-02089-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
While sex chromosomes carry sex-determining genes, they also often differ from autosomes in size and composition, consisting mainly of silenced heterochromatic repetitive DNA. Even though Y chromosomes show structural heteromorphism, the functional significance of such differences remains elusive. Correlative studies suggest that the amount of Y chromosome heterochromatin might be responsible for several male-specific traits, including sex-specific differences in longevity observed across a wide spectrum of species, including humans. However, experimental models to test this hypothesis have been lacking. Here we use the Drosophila melanogaster Y chromosome to investigate the relevance of sex chromosome heterochromatin in somatic organs in vivo. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we generated a library of Y chromosomes with variable levels of heterochromatin. We show that these different Y chromosomes can disrupt gene silencing in trans, on other chromosomes, by sequestering core components of the heterochromatin machinery. This effect is positively correlated to the level of Y heterochromatin. However, we also find that the ability of the Y chromosome to affect genome-wide heterochromatin does not generate physiological sex differences, including sexual dimorphism in longevity. Instead, we discovered that it is the phenotypic sex, female or male, that controls sex-specific differences in lifespan, rather than the presence of a Y chromosome. Altogether, our findings dismiss the 'toxic Y' hypothesis that postulates that the Y chromosome leads to reduced lifespan in XY individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rénald Delanoue
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Nice, France.
| | - Charlène Clot
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Nice, France
| | - Chloé Leray
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Nice, France
| | - Thomas Pihl
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Nice, France
| | - Bruno Hudry
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, INSERM, Nice, France.
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Sferra SR, Guo M, Gonzalez Salazar AJ, Penikis AB, Engwall-Gill AJ, Ebanks A, Harting MT, Collaco JM, Kunisaki SM. Sex-Specific Differences in Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Mortality. J Pediatr 2023; 259:113481. [PMID: 37196780 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare disease severity and mortality differences between female and male patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). STUDY DESIGN We queried the CDH Study Group (CDHSG) database for CDH neonates managed between 2007 and 2018. Female and males were compared in statistical analyses using t tests, χ² tests, and Cox regression, as appropriate (P ≤ .05). RESULTS There were 7288 CDH patients, of which 3048 (41.8%) were female. Females weighed less on average at birth than males (2.84 kg vs 2.97 kg, P < .001) despite comparable gestational age. Females had similar rates of extracorporeal life support (ECLS) utilization (27.8% vs 27.3%, P = .65). Although both cohorts had equivalent defect size and rates of patch repair, female patients had increased rates of intrathoracic liver herniation (49.2% vs 45.9%, P = .01) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) (86.6% vs 81.1%, P < .001). Females had lower survival rates at 30-days (77.3% vs 80.1%, P = .003) and overall lower survival to discharge (70.2% vs 74.2%, P < .001). Subgroup analysis revealed that increased mortality was significant among those who underwent repair but were never supported on ECLS (P = .005). On Cox regression analysis, female sex was independently associated with mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 1.32, P = .02). CONCLUSION After controlling for the established prenatal and postnatal predictors of mortality, female sex remains independently associated with a higher risk of mortality in CDH. Further study into the underlying causes for sex-specific disparities in CDH outcomes is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby R Sferra
- Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Matthew Guo
- Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Andres J Gonzalez Salazar
- Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Annalise B Penikis
- Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Abigail J Engwall-Gill
- Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Ashley Ebanks
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Texas McGovern Medical School and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Matthew T Harting
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, University of Texas McGovern Medical School and Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, TX
| | - Joseph M Collaco
- Eudowood Division of Pediatric Respiratory Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Shaun M Kunisaki
- Division of General Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
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20
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Valdrighi N, Blom AB, Vago JP, van Beuningen HM, Vitters EL, Helsen MM, Walgreen B, Arntz OJ, Koenders MI, van der Kraan PM, Blaney Davidson EN, van de Loo FAJ. Innate Immunity and Sex: Distinct Inflammatory Profiles Associated with Murine Pain in Acute Synovitis. Cells 2023; 12:1913. [PMID: 37508577 PMCID: PMC10378550 DOI: 10.3390/cells12141913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Joint pain severity in arthritic diseases differs between sexes and is often more pronounced in women. This disparity is thought to stem from biological mechanisms, particularly innate immunity, yet the understanding of sex-specific differences in arthritic pain remains incomplete. This study aims to investigate these disparities using an innate immunity-driven inflammation model induced by intra-articular injections of Streptococcus Cell Wall fragments to mimic both acute and pre-sensitized joint conditions. Nociceptive behavior was evaluated via gait analysis and static weight-bearing, and inflammation was evaluated via joint histology and the synovial gene expression involved in immune response. Although acute inflammation and pain severity were comparable between sexes, distinct associations between synovial inflammatory gene expression and static nociceptive behavior emerged. These associations delineated sex-specific relationships with pain, highlighting differential gene interactions (Il6 versus Cybb on day 1 and Cyba/Gas6 versus Nos2 on day 8) between sexes. In conclusion, our study found that, despite similar pain severity between sexes, the association of inflammatory synovial genes revealed sex-specific differences in the molecular inflammatory mechanisms underlying pain. These findings suggest a path towards more personalized treatment strategies for pain management in arthritis and other inflammatory joint diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Fons A. J. van de Loo
- Experimental Rheumatology, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 8, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (N.V.); (A.B.B.); (J.P.V.); (H.M.v.B.); (E.L.V.); (M.M.H.); (B.W.); (O.J.A.); (M.I.K.); (P.M.v.d.K.); (E.N.B.D.)
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21
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Lagacé F, D’Aguanno K, Prosty C, Laverde-Saad A, Cattelan L, Ouchene L, Oliel S, Genest G, Doiron P, Richer V, Jfri A, O’Brien E, Lefrançois P, Powell M, Moreau L, Litvinov IV, Muntyanu A, Netchiporouk E. The Role of Sex and Gender in Dermatology - From Pathogenesis to Clinical Implications. J Cutan Med Surg 2023; 27:NP1-NP36. [PMID: 37401812 PMCID: PMC10486181 DOI: 10.1177/12034754231177582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex and gender have increasingly been recognized as significant risk factors for many diseases, including dermatological conditions. Historically, sex and gender have often been grouped together as a single risk factor in the scientific literature. However, both may have a distinct impact on disease incidence, prevalence, clinical presentation, severity, therapeutic response, and associated psychological distress. OBJECTIVES AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION The mechanisms that underlie differences in skin diseases between males, females, men, and women remain largely unknown. The specific objectives of this review paper are:To highlight the biological differences between males and females (sex), as well as the sociocultural differences between men and women (gender) and how they impact the integumentary system.To perform a literature review to identify important sex- and gender-related epidemiological and clinical differences for various skin conditions belonging to a range of disease categories and to discuss possible biological and sociocultural factors that could explain the observed differences.To discuss dermatological skin conditions and gender-affirming treatments within the transgender community, a population of individuals who have a gender identity which is different than the gender identity they were assigned at birth. FUTURE IMPACT With the rising number of individuals that identify as non-binary or transgender within our increasingly diverse communities, it is imperative to recognize gender identity, gender, and sex as distinct entities. By doing so, clinicians will be able to better risk-stratify their patients and select treatments that are most aligned with their values. To our knowledge, very few studies have separated sex and gender as two distinct risk factors within the dermatology literature. Our article also has the potential to help guide future prevention strategies that are patient-tailored rather than using a universal approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Lagacé
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Connor Prosty
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alexandra Laverde-Saad
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Leila Cattelan
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Lydia Ouchene
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sarah Oliel
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Genevieve Genest
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Philip Doiron
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vincent Richer
- Department of Dermatology and Skin Science, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Abdulhadi Jfri
- Department of Dermatology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elizabeth O’Brien
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Philippe Lefrançois
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mathieu Powell
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Linda Moreau
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ivan V. Litvinov
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Anastasiya Muntyanu
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Elena Netchiporouk
- Division of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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22
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Wapeesittipan P, Joshi A. Integrated analysis of robust sex-biased gene signatures in human brain. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:36. [PMID: 37221602 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00515-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual dimorphism is highly prominent in mammals with many physiological and behavioral differences between male and female form of the species. Accordingly, the fundamental social and cultural stratification factors for humans is sex. The sex differences are thought to emerge from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. It distinguishes individuals most prominently on the reproductive traits, but also affects many of the other related traits and manifest in different disease susceptibilities and treatment responses across sexes. Sex differences in brain have raised a lot of controversy due to small and sometimes contradictory sex-specific effects. Many studies have been published to identify sex-biased genes in one or several brain regions, but the assessment of the robustness of these studies is missing. We therefore collected huge amount of publicly available transcriptomic data to first estimate whether consistent sex differences exist and further explore their likely origin and functional significance. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION In order to systematically characterise sex-specific differences across human brain regions, we collected transcription profiles for more than 16,000 samples from 46 datasets across 11 brain regions. By systematic integration of the data from multiple studies, we identified robust transcription level differences in human brain across to identify male-biased and female-biased genes in each brain region. Firstly, both male and female-biased genes were highly conserved across primates and showed a high overlap with sex-biased genes in other species. Female-biased genes were enriched for neuron-associated processes while male-biased genes were enriched for membranes and nuclear structures. Male-biased genes were enriched on the Y chromosome while female-biased genes were enriched on the X chromosome, which included X chromosome inactivation escapees explaining the origins of some sex differences. Male-biased genes were enriched for mitotic processes while female-biased genes were enriched for synaptic membrane and lumen. Finally, sex-biased genes were enriched for drug-targets and more female-biased genes were affected by adverse drug reactions than male-biased genes. In summary, by building a comprehensive resource of sex differences across human brain regions at gene expression level, we explored their likely origin and functional significance. We have also developed a web resource to make the entire analysis available for the scientific community for further exploration, available at https://joshiapps.cbu.uib.no/SRB_app/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pattama Wapeesittipan
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Anagha Joshi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
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23
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Allegra S, Chiara F, Di Grazia D, Gaspari M, De Francia S. Evaluation of Sex Differences in Preclinical Pharmacology Research: How Far Is Left to Go? Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:786. [PMID: 37375734 DOI: 10.3390/ph16060786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Until the last quarter of the 20th century, sex was not recognized as a variable in health research, nor was it believed to be a factor that could affect health and illness. Researchers preferred studying male models for a variety of reasons, such as simplicity, lower costs, hormone confounding effects, and fear of liability from perinatal exposure in case of pregnancy. Equitable representation is imperative for determining the safety, effectiveness, and tolerance of therapeutic agents for all consumers. Decades of female models' underrepresentation in preclinical studies has resulted in inequality in the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of disease between the sexes. Sex bias has been highlighted as one of the contributing factors to the poor translation and replicability of preclinical research. There have been multiple calls for action, and the inclusion of sex as a biological variable is increasingly supported. However, although there has been substantial progress in the efforts to include more female models in preclinical studies, disparities today remain. In the present review, we consider the current standard practice of the preclinical research setting, why the sex bias exists, why there is the need to include female models, and what risks may arise from continuing this exclusion from experimental design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Allegra
- Department of Biological and Clinical Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Francesco Chiara
- Department of Biological and Clinical Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Daniela Di Grazia
- Department of Biological and Clinical Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Marco Gaspari
- Department of Biological and Clinical Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Silvia De Francia
- Department of Biological and Clinical Sciences, University of Turin, S. Luigi Gonzaga Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
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24
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Masenga SK, Mweene BC, Luwaya E, Muchaili L, Chona M, Kirabo A. HIV-Host Cell Interactions. Cells 2023; 12:1351. [PMID: 37408185 DOI: 10.3390/cells12101351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) was a great milestone in the management of HIV infection. ARVs suppress viral activity in the host cell, thus minimizing injury to the cells and prolonging life. However, an effective treatment has remained elusive for four decades due to the successful immune evasion mechanisms of the virus. A thorough understanding of the molecular interaction of HIV with the host cell is essential in the development of both preventive and curative therapies for HIV infection. This review highlights several inherent mechanisms of HIV that promote its survival and propagation, such as the targeting of CD4+ lymphocytes, the downregulation of MHC class I and II, antigenic variation and an envelope complex that minimizes antibody access, and how they collaboratively render the immune system unable to mount an effective response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepiso K Masenga
- HAND Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mulungushi University, Livingstone Campus, Livingstone 10101, Zambia
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Room 536 Robinson Research Building, Nashville, TN 37232-6602, USA
| | - Bislom C Mweene
- HAND Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mulungushi University, Livingstone Campus, Livingstone 10101, Zambia
| | - Emmanuel Luwaya
- HAND Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mulungushi University, Livingstone Campus, Livingstone 10101, Zambia
| | - Lweendo Muchaili
- HAND Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mulungushi University, Livingstone Campus, Livingstone 10101, Zambia
| | - Makondo Chona
- HAND Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Mulungushi University, Livingstone Campus, Livingstone 10101, Zambia
| | - Annet Kirabo
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Room 536 Robinson Research Building, Nashville, TN 37232-6602, USA
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25
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Ocañas SR, Ansere VA, Kellogg CM, Isola JVV, Chucair-Elliott AJ, Freeman WM. Chromosomal and gonadal factors regulate microglial sex effects in the aging brain. Brain Res Bull 2023; 195:157-171. [PMID: 36804773 PMCID: PMC10810555 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Biological sex contributes to phenotypic sex effects through genetic (sex chromosomal) and hormonal (gonadal) mechanisms. There are profound sex differences in the prevalence and progression of age-related brain diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases. Inflammation of neural tissue is one of the most consistent age-related phenotypes seen with healthy aging and disease. The pro-inflammatory environment of the aging brain has primarily been attributed to microglial reactivity and adoption of heterogeneous reactive states dependent upon intrinsic (i.e., sex) and extrinsic (i.e., age, disease state) factors. Here, we review sex effects in microglia across the lifespan, explore potential genetic and hormonal molecular mechanisms of microglial sex effects, and discuss currently available models and methods to study sex effects in the aging brain. Despite recent attention to this area, significant further research is needed to mechanistically understand the regulation of microglial sex effects across the lifespan, which may open new avenues for sex informed prevention and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah R Ocañas
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
| | - Victor A Ansere
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Collyn M Kellogg
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Jose V V Isola
- Aging & Metabolism Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Ana J Chucair-Elliott
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
| | - Willard M Freeman
- Genes & Human Disease Program, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA
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26
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Miao N, Zeng Z, Lee T, Guo Q, Zheng W, Cai W, Chen W, Wang J, Sun T. Integrative epigenome profiling of 47XXY provides insights into whole genomic DNA hypermethylation and active chromatin accessibility. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1128739. [PMID: 37051325 PMCID: PMC10083376 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1128739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Klinefelter syndrome (KS, 47XXY) is a disorder characterized by sex chromosomal aneuploidy, which may lead to changes in epigenetic regulations of gene expression. To define epigenetic architectures in 47XXY, we annotated DNA methylation in euploid males (46XY) and females (46XX), and 47XXY individuals using whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and integrated chromatin accessbilty, and detected abnormal hypermethylation in 47XXY. Furthermore, we detected altered chromatin accessibility in 47XXY, in particular in chromosome X, using Assay for Transposase-Accessible Chromatin sequencing (ATAC-seq) in cultured amniotic cells. Our results construct the whole genome-wide DNA methylation map in 47XXY, and provide new insights into the early epigenomic dysregulation resulting from an extra chromosome X in 47XXY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Miao
- Center for Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Zhiwei Zeng
- Center for Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Trevor Lee
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Cornell University Weill Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Qiwei Guo
- United Diagnostic and Research Center for Clinical Genetics, Women and Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine & School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Wenwei Zheng
- Quanzhou Women and Children’s Hospital, Quanzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wenjie Cai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, First Hospital of Quanzhou, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Wanhua Chen
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, First Hospital of Quanzhou, Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Center for Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Tao Sun
- Center for Precision Medicine, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Sciences, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
- *Correspondence: Tao Sun,
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27
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Arnold AP, Chen X, Grzybowski MN, Ryan JM, Sengelaub DR, Mohanroy T, Furlan VA, Grisham W, Malloy L, Takizawa A, Wiese CB, Vergnes L, Skaletsky H, Page DC, Reue K, Harley VR, Dwinell MR, Geurts AM. A "Four Core Genotypes" rat model to distinguish mechanisms underlying sex-biased phenotypes and diseases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.09.527738. [PMID: 36798326 PMCID: PMC9934672 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.09.527738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Background We have generated a rat model similar to the Four Core Genotypes mouse model, allowing comparison of XX and XY rats with the same type of gonad. The model detects novel sex chromosome effects (XX vs. XY) that contribute to sex differences in any rat phenotype. Methods XY rats were produced with an autosomal transgene of Sry , the testis-determining factor gene, which were fathers of XX and XY progeny with testes. In other rats, CRISPR-Cas9 technology was used to remove Y chromosome factors that initiate testis differentiation, producing fertile XY gonadal females that have XX and XY progeny with ovaries. These groups can be compared to detect sex differences caused by sex chromosome complement (XX vs. XY) and/or by gonadal hormones (rats with testes vs. ovaries). Results We have measured numerous phenotypes to characterize this model, including gonadal histology, breeding performance, anogenital distance, levels of reproductive hormones, body and organ weights, and central nervous system sexual dimorphisms. Serum testosterone levels were comparable in adult XX and XY gonadal males. Numerous phenotypes previously found to be sexually differentiated by the action of gonadal hormones were found to be similar in XX and XY rats with the same type of gonad, suggesting that XX and XY rats with the same type of gonad have comparable levels of gonadal hormones at various stages of development. Conclusion The results establish a powerful new model to discriminate sex chromosome and gonadal hormone effects that cause sexual differences in rat physiology and disease.
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28
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Polcerová L, Jantz RL, Králík M, Chovancová M, Čuta M. Sex differences in radioulnar contrasts of the finger ridge counts across 21 human population samples. Ann Hum Biol 2023; 50:370-389. [PMID: 37647353 DOI: 10.1080/03014460.2023.2247970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Aim: The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the existence of uniform sexual dimorphism in some radioulnar contrasts between different finger ridge counts within the same hand in a large set of populations, thus confirming the universal nature of this dimorphism in humans.Subjects and methods: We analysed individual finger ridge counts (10 values on each hand) of both hands from archival sources (mainly the Brehme-Jantz database). In total, these included 4412 adults from 21 population samples covering all permanently inhabited continents and encompassing very different and geographically distant human populations. We calculated the contrasts (differences) of all pairs of ridge counts (45 per hand) and used diverse methods to assess the direction and degree of dimorphism of them across all population samples.Results: The highest sexual dimorphism was observed for nine contrasts involving the ridge count of the dermatoglyphic pattern on the radial side of the second finger of the right hand (R2r). Among these contrasts, we then found four that had the same direction of dimorphism in all 21 populations. The most dimorphic was the contrast R1rR2r - the difference between the ridge count of the radial side of the thumb and the radial side of the index finger.Discussion: Thus, these dermatoglyphic traits can be further investigated as potential markers of prenatal sex differentiation from ca. 10th week of intrauterine development. However, it will be useful to address the detailed factors and mechanisms for differences in the degree of dimorphism of these traits in different populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Polcerová
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - R L Jantz
- Department of Anthropology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - M Králík
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - M Chovancová
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - M Čuta
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
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29
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Landen S, Hiam D, Voisin S, Jacques M, Lamon S, Eynon N. Physiological and molecular sex differences in human skeletal muscle in response to exercise training. J Physiol 2023; 601:419-434. [PMID: 34762308 DOI: 10.1113/jp279499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in exercise physiology, such as substrate metabolism and skeletal muscle fatigability, stem from inherent biological factors, including endogenous hormones and genetics. Studies investigating exercise physiology frequently include only males or do not take sex differences into consideration. Although there is still an underrepresentation of female participants in exercise research, existing studies have identified sex differences in physiological and molecular responses to exercise training. The observed sex differences in exercise physiology are underpinned by the sex chromosome complement, sex hormones and, on a molecular level, the epigenome and transcriptome. Future research in the field should aim to include both sexes, control for menstrual cycle factors, conduct large-scale and ethnically diverse studies, conduct meta-analyses to consolidate findings from various studies, leverage unique cohorts (such as post-menopausal, transgender, and those with sex chromosome abnormalities), as well as integrate tissue and cell-specific -omics data. This knowledge is essential for developing deeper insight into sex-specific physiological responses to exercise training, thus directing future exercise physiology studies and practical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanie Landen
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Danielle Hiam
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia.,Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Sarah Voisin
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Macsue Jacques
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Séverine Lamon
- Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Nir Eynon
- Institute for Health and Sport (iHeS), Victoria University, Melbourne, Australia
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30
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Hayward-Piatkovskyi B, Gonyea CR, Pyle SC, Lingappan K, Gleghorn JP. Sex-related external factors influence pulmonary vascular angiogenesis in a sex-dependent manner. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2023; 324:H26-H32. [PMID: 36367696 PMCID: PMC9762957 DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00552.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a disease with a significant sexual dimorphism where males have a disadvantage compared with their female counterparts. Although mechanisms behind this sexual dimorphism are poorly understood, sex differences in angiogenesis have been identified as one possible source of the male disadvantage in BPD. Pulmonary angiogenesis was assessed in vitro using a bead sprouting assay with pooled male or female human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (HPMECs, 18-19 wk gestation, canalicular stage of human lung development) in standard (sex-hormone containing) and hormone-stripped medium. We identified sex-specific phenotypes in angiogenesis where male HPMECs produce fewer but longer sprouts compared with female HPMECs. The presence of sex hormones from standard culture medium modifies the male HPMEC phenotype with shorter and fewer sprouts but does not influence the female phenotype. Using a conditioned medium model, we further characterized the influence of the sex-specific secretome. Male and female HPMECs secrete factors that increase the maximum length of sprouts in female, but not male HPMECs. The presence of sex hormones abolishes this response. The male HPMEC secretome inhibits angiogenic sprouting in male HPMECs in the absence of sex hormones. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the pulmonary endothelial cell phenotypes are influenced by sex hormones and sex-specific secreted factors in a sex-dependent manner.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We identified a sex-specific phenotype wherein male HPMECs produce fewer but longer sprouts than females. Surprisingly, the presence of sex hormones only modifies the male phenotype, resulting in shorter and even fewer sprouts. Furthermore, we found the sex-specific secretome has a sex-dependent influence on angiogenesis that is also sex-hormone sensitive. These new and surprising findings point to the unappreciated role of sex and sex-related exogenous factors in early developmental angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cailin R Gonyea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Sienna C Pyle
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
| | - Krithika Lingappan
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jason P Gleghorn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware
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31
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Abaffy T, Lu HY, Matsunami H. Sex steroid hormone synthesis, metabolism, and the effects on the mammalian olfactory system. Cell Tissue Res 2023; 391:19-42. [PMID: 36401093 PMCID: PMC9676892 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-022-03707-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Sex steroid hormones influence olfactory-mediated social behaviors, and it is generally hypothesized that these effects result from circulating hormones and/or neurosteroids synthesized in the brain. However, it is unclear whether sex steroid hormones are synthesized in the olfactory epithelium or the olfactory bulb, and if they can modulate the activity of the olfactory sensory neurons. Here, we review important discoveries related to the metabolism of sex steroids in the mouse olfactory epithelium and olfactory bulb, along with potential areas of future research. We summarize current knowledge regarding the expression, neuroanatomical distribution, and biological activity of the steroidogenic enzymes, sex steroid receptors, and proteins that are important to the metabolism of these hormones and reflect on their potential to influence early olfactory processing. We also review evidence related to the effects of sex steroid hormones on the development and activity of olfactory sensory neurons. By better understanding how these hormones are metabolized and how they act both at the periphery and olfactory bulb level, we can better appreciate the complexity of the olfactory system and discover potential similarities and differences in early olfactory processing between sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Abaffy
- Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Department, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Hsiu-Yi Lu
- Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Department, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
| | - Hiroaki Matsunami
- Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Department, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710 USA
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Shan Y, Cheung L, Zhou Y, Huang Y, Huang RS. A systematic review on sex differences in adverse drug reactions related to psychotropic, cardiovascular, and analgesic medications. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1096366. [PMID: 37201021 PMCID: PMC10185891 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1096366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and objective: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are the main safety concerns of clinically used medications. Accumulating evidence has shown that ADRs can affect men and women differently, which suggests sex as a biological predictor in the risk of ADRs. This review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on sex differences in ADRs with the focus on the commonly used psychotropic, cardiovascular, and analgesic medications, and to aid clinical decision making and future mechanistic investigations on this topic. Methods: PubMed search was performed with combinations of the following terms: over 1,800 drugs of interests, sex difference (and its related terms), and side effects (and its related terms), which yielded over 400 unique articles. Articles related to psychotropic, cardiovascular, and analgesic medications were included in the subsequent full-text review. Characteristics and the main findings (male-biased, female-biased, or not sex biased ADRs) of each included article were collected, and the results were summarized by drug class and/or individual drug. Results: Twenty-six articles studying sex differences in ADRs of six psychotropic medications, ten cardiovascular medications, and one analgesic medication were included in this review. The main findings of these articles suggested that more than half of the ADRs being evaluated showed sex difference pattern in occurrence rate. For instance, lithium was found to cause more thyroid dysfunction in women, and amisulpride induced prolactin increase was more pronounced in women than in men. Some serious ADRs were also found to exert sex difference pattern, such as clozapine induced neutropenia was more prevalent in women whereas simvastatin/atorvastatin-related abnormal liver functions were more pronounced in men.
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Sneddon EA, Rasizer LN, Cavalco NG, Jaymes AH, Ostlie NJ, Minshall BL, Masters BM, Hughes MR, Hrncir H, Arnold AP, Radke AK. Gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement differentially contribute to ethanol intake, preference, and relapse-like behaviour in four core genotypes mice. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13222. [PMID: 36001422 PMCID: PMC9413386 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use and high-risk alcohol drinking behaviours among women are rapidly rising. In rodent models, females typically consume more ethanol (EtOH) than males. Here, we used the four core genotypes (FCG) mouse model to investigate the influence of gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement on EtOH drinking behaviours. FCG mice were given access to escalating concentrations of EtOH in a two-bottle, 24-h continuous access drinking paradigm to assess consumption and preference. Relapse-like behaviour was measured by assessing escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure. Twenty-four-hour EtOH consumption was greater in mice with ovaries (Sry-), relative to those with testes, and in mice with the XX chromosome complement, relative to those with XY sex chromosomes. EtOH preference was higher in XX versus XY mice. For both consumption and preference, the influences of the Sry gene and sex chromosomes were concentration dependent. Escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure emerged only in XX mice (vs. XY). Mice with ovaries (Sry- FCG mice and C57BL/6J females) were also found to consume more water than mice with testes. These results demonstrate that aspects of EtOH drinking behaviour may be independently regulated by sex hormones and chromosomes and inform our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms which contribute to EtOH dependence in male and female mice. Future investigation of the contribution of sex chromosomes to EtOH drinking behaviours is warranted. We used the FCG mouse model to investigate the influence of gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement on EtOH drinking behaviours, including the alcohol deprivation effect. Escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure emerged only in XX mice (vs. XY). These results demonstrate that aspects of EtOH drinking behaviour may be independently regulated by sex hormones and chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Sneddon
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Lindsay N. Rasizer
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Natalie G. Cavalco
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Asa H. Jaymes
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Noah J. Ostlie
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Brianna L. Minshall
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Brianna M. Masters
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | | | - Haley Hrncir
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arthur P. Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna K. Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
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Alex AM, Ruvio T, Xia K, Jha SC, Girault JB, Wang L, Li G, Shen D, Cornea E, Styner MA, Gilmore JH, Knickmeyer RC. Influence of gonadal steroids on cortical surface area in infancy. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:3206-3223. [PMID: 34952542 PMCID: PMC9340392 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the human brain emerge as early as mid-gestation and have been linked to sex hormones, particularly testosterone. Here, we analyzed the influence of markers of early sex hormone exposure (polygenic risk score (PRS) for testosterone, salivary testosterone, number of CAG repeats, digit ratios, and PRS for estradiol) on the growth pattern of cortical surface area in a longitudinal cohort of 722 infants. We found PRS for testosterone and right-hand digit ratio to be significantly associated with surface area, but only in females. PRS for testosterone at the most stringent P value threshold was positively associated with surface area development over time. Higher right-hand digit ratio, which is indicative of low prenatal testosterone levels, was negatively related to surface area in females. The current work suggests that variation in testosterone levels during both the prenatal and postnatal period may contribute to cortical surface area development in female infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Mary Alex
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Tom Ruvio
- Neuroengineering Division, Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Kai Xia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Shaili C Jha
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jessica B Girault
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Dinggang Shen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Emil Cornea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Rebecca C Knickmeyer
- Address correspondence to Rebecca C. Knickmeyer, Institute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, 775 Woodlot Dr, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
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Otterbring T, Elbæk CT, Lu C. Can Digit Ratio and Gender Identity Predict Preferences for Consumption Options With a Distinct Gender Image? Front Psychol 2022; 13:923709. [PMID: 35756313 PMCID: PMC9220292 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated whether individuals' preferences for masculine (vs. feminine) consumption options could be predicted by a biological sex cue (the 2D:4D digit ratio; a biomarker linked to prenatal testosterone exposure), and a psychological gender cue (self-perceived gender identity). Chinese participants (N = 216) indicated their preferences for a series of binary options that differed in their perceived gender image (e.g., romantic comedy vs. action thriller; pop music vs. hard rock), with one of the options evaluated as relatively more feminine and the other viewed as comparably more masculine. Participants also self-reported their gender identity and the length of their index and ring fingers, which was used to calculate their 2D:4D digit ratios. A low (male-typical) digit ratio and a masculine gender identity were both associated with more masculine preferences, regardless of participants' biological sex. However, a low digit ratio predicted preferences for masculine consumption options only in female participants with a masculine gender identity, but not in those with a feminine gender identity. These findings add to the literature on whether and when biological sex cues and psychological gender cues can predict preferences for options with a distinct gender image and suggest that the connection between these cues is more complex in women than in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Otterbring
- Department of Management, School of Business and Law, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
- Institute of Retail Economics, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Chaoren Lu
- Kunming Academy of Governance, Kunming, China
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36
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Casto KV, Leininger EC, Tan T. Teaching About Sex and Gender in Neuroscience: More Than Meets the "XY". JOURNAL OF UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE EDUCATION : JUNE : A PUBLICATION OF FUN, FACULTY FOR UNDERGRADUATE NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 20:A191-A206. [PMID: 38323054 PMCID: PMC10653250 DOI: 10.59390/azvz2988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Offering courses on the neuroscience of sex and gender can help support an inclusive curriculum in neuroscience. At the same time, developing and teaching such courses can be daunting to even the most enthusiastic educators, given the subject's complexities, nuances, and the difficult conversations that it invites. The authors of this article have all developed and taught such courses from different perspectives. Our aim is to provide educators with an overview of important conceptual topics as well as a comprehensive, but non-exhaustive, guide to resources for teaching about sex/gender in neuroscience based on our collective experience teaching courses on the topic. After defining vital terminology and briefly reviewing the biology of sex and sex determination, we describe some common topics within the field and contrast our current nuanced understandings from outdated misconceptions in the field. We review how (mis)representation of the neuroscience of sex/gender serves as a case study for how scientific results are communicated and disseminated. We consider how contextualization of sex/gender neuroscience research within a broader historical and societal framework can give students a wider perspective on the enterprise of science. Finally, we conclude with a brief discussion on how to choose learning goals for your course and implementation notes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen V Casto
- Division of Social Sciences, New College of Florida, Sarasota, FL 34243
| | | | - Taralyn Tan
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- PhD Program in Neuroscience, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
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37
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Dussenne M, Delcourt J, Poncin P, Cornil CA, Parmentier E. Impact of temperature-induced sex reversal on behavior and sound production in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Horm Behav 2022; 142:105173. [PMID: 35550986 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In some fish species, sex is determined by the combination of genetic and environmental factors. In most species concerned, extreme temperatures during the sensitive period of sex differentiation drives masculinization, independently of the female sex chromosomes. In Nile tilapia (XY male heterogamety), XX juveniles exposed to high temperatures (>32 °C) can masculinize and become phenotypical males (neomales). Whether these neomales exhibit a different behavior than XY males remains however unclear. Sex reversal being naturally relevant, we investigated the agonistic behavior of neomales during dyadic fights and the preference of gravid females for one of the two male types. We quantified the behavior, size of the nest, hormone circulating levels (testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone and cortisol) and sound production of the two male types in both contexts. Independently of the individual they face, neomales seem to display more aggressive behaviors than XY males but often fail to become dominant. Agonistic interactions were mainly silent, suggesting that sounds are unnecessary for the establishment of social hierarchy. Although males and neomales produce different kinds of sounds when facing a gravid female, the female does not exhibit a preference. Overall, no differences were observed for hormone circulating concentrations between the two male types. We suggest that the sex chromosomes and/or the sex reversal procedure may have differently shaped the brain of neomales, resulting in differences in the expression of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Dussenne
- Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, GIGA Neurosciences, avenue Hippocrate, 15 (B36), University of Liege, Liege, Belgium; Aquaculture Research and Education Center (CEFRA), University of Liege, Tihange, Belgium; Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology, UR FOCUS, Allée du Six Août 11, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium; Behavioural Biology group, Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Quai Van Beneden 22, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
| | - J Delcourt
- Behavioural Biology group, Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Quai Van Beneden 22, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - P Poncin
- Behavioural Biology group, Laboratory of Fish and Amphibian Ethology, Quai Van Beneden 22, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - C A Cornil
- Neuroendocrinology Laboratory, GIGA Neurosciences, avenue Hippocrate, 15 (B36), University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
| | - E Parmentier
- Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology, UR FOCUS, Allée du Six Août 11, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium
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38
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Blencowe M, Chen X, Zhao Y, Itoh Y, McQuillen CN, Han Y, Shou BL, McClusky R, Reue K, Arnold AP, Yang X. Relative contributions of sex hormones, sex chromosomes, and gonads to sex differences in tissue gene regulation. Genome Res 2022; 32:807-824. [PMID: 35396276 PMCID: PMC9104702 DOI: 10.1101/gr.275965.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in physiology and disease in mammals result from the effects of three classes of factors that are inherently unequal in males and females: reversible (activational) effects of gonadal hormones, permanent (organizational) effects of gonadal hormones, and cell-autonomous effects of sex chromosomes, as well as genes driven by these classes of factors. Often, these factors act together to cause sex differences in specific phenotypes, but the relative contribution of each and the interactions among them remain unclear. Here, we used the four core genotypes (FCG) mouse model with or without hormone replacement to distinguish the effects of each class of sex-biasing factors on transcriptome regulation in liver and adipose tissues. We found that the activational hormone levels have the strongest influence on gene expression, followed by the organizational gonadal sex effect, and last, sex chromosomal effect, along with interactions among the three factors. Tissue specificity was prominent, with a major impact of estradiol on adipose tissue gene regulation and of testosterone on the liver transcriptome. The networks affected by the three sex-biasing factors include development, immunity and metabolism, and tissue-specific regulators were identified for these networks. Furthermore, the genes affected by individual sex-biasing factors and interactions among factors are associated with human disease traits such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease. Our study offers a tissue-specific account of the individual and interactive contributions of major sex-biasing factors to gene regulation that have broad impact on systemic metabolic, endocrine, and immune functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Montgomery Blencowe
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Interdepartmental Program of Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Xuqi Chen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Yutian Zhao
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Interdepartmental Program of Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Yuichiro Itoh
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Caden N McQuillen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Yanjie Han
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Benjamin L Shou
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Rebecca McClusky
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Karen Reue
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Interdepartmental Program of Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Xia Yang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Interdepartmental Program of Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biosciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Fisher JL, Jones EF, Flanary VL, Williams AS, Ramsey EJ, Lasseigne BN. Considerations and challenges for sex-aware drug repurposing. Biol Sex Differ 2022; 13:13. [PMID: 35337371 PMCID: PMC8949654 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-022-00420-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences are essential factors in disease etiology and manifestation in many diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegeneration [33]. The biological influence of sex differences (including genomic, epigenetic, hormonal, immunological, and metabolic differences between males and females) and the lack of biomedical studies considering sex differences in their study design has led to several policies. For example, the National Institute of Health's (NIH) sex as a biological variable (SABV) and Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) policies to motivate researchers to consider sex differences [204]. However, drug repurposing, a promising alternative to traditional drug discovery by identifying novel uses for FDA-approved drugs, lacks sex-aware methods that can improve the identification of drugs that have sex-specific responses [7, 11, 14, 33]. Sex-aware drug repurposing methods either select drug candidates that are more efficacious in one sex or deprioritize drug candidates based on if they are predicted to cause a sex-bias adverse event (SBAE), unintended therapeutic effects that are more likely to occur in one sex. Computational drug repurposing methods are encouraging approaches to develop for sex-aware drug repurposing because they can prioritize sex-specific drug candidates or SBAEs at lower cost and time than traditional drug discovery. Sex-aware methods currently exist for clinical, genomic, and transcriptomic information [1, 7, 155]. They have not expanded to other data types, such as DNA variation, which has been beneficial in other drug repurposing methods that do not consider sex [114]. Additionally, some sex-aware methods suffer from poorer performance because a disproportionate number of male and female samples are available to train computational methods [7]. However, there is development potential for several different categories (i.e., data mining, ligand binding predictions, molecular associations, and networks). Low-dimensional representations of molecular association and network approaches are also especially promising candidates for future sex-aware drug repurposing methodologies because they reduce the multiple hypothesis testing burden and capture sex-specific variation better than the other methods [151, 159]. Here we review how sex influences drug response, the current state of drug repurposing including with respect to sex-bias drug response, and how model organism study design choices influence drug repurposing validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L. Fisher
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
| | - Emma F. Jones
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
| | - Victoria L. Flanary
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
| | - Avery S. Williams
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
| | - Elizabeth J. Ramsey
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
| | - Brittany N. Lasseigne
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294 USA
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40
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GREEN TAMAR, FLASH SHIRA, SHANKAR GEETA, SHRESTHA SHARONBADE, JO BOOIL, KLABUNDE MEGAN, HONG DAVIDS, REISS ALLANL. Effect of sex chromosome number variation on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, executive function, and processing speed. Dev Med Child Neurol 2022; 64:331-339. [PMID: 34431088 PMCID: PMC8816867 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.15020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
AIM To study sex differences in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, we explored whether X chromosome absence or excess is independently associated with deficits in attention and hyperactivity, executive function, and processing speed. METHOD We assessed 116 children (ages 3y 10mo-11y 11mo, mean 8y 5mo, SD 1y 11mo) with a variable number of sex chromosomes: 36 females with Turner syndrome (45, X0), 20 males with Klinefelter syndrome (47, XXY), 37 typically developing females (XX), and 23 typically developing males (XY). RESULTS X chromosome absence was associated with increased attention problems, hyperactivity, and deficits in inhibitory control, compared with female children with XX (all p<0.003). Conversely, X chromosome excess was associated with weakness in working memory (p=0.018) and approached significance for attention problems (p=0.071) but not with hyperactivity, or weakness in inhibitory control relative to male children with XY. Using non-parametric effect size to quantify the clinical effect revealed that X chromosome absence affected attention, hyperactivity, executive function, and processing speed (all r>0.4), while X excess affected in-laboratory as well as parent-reported working memory (all r>0.4). INTERPRETATION Our observations provide compelling evidence that the absence or excess of an X chromosome distinctly affects cognition and behaviors associated with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- TAMAR GREEN
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - SHIRA FLASH
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - GEETA SHANKAR
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - SHARON BADE SHRESTHA
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - BOOIL JO
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - MEGAN KLABUNDE
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - DAVID S HONG
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - ALLAN L REISS
- Division of Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA,Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA,Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
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41
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Kelava I, Chiaradia I, Pellegrini L, Kalinka AT, Lancaster MA. Androgens increase excitatory neurogenic potential in human brain organoids. Nature 2022; 602:112-116. [PMID: 35046577 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04330-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The biological basis of male-female brain differences has been difficult to elucidate in humans. The most notable morphological difference is size, with male individuals having on average a larger brain than female individuals1,2, but a mechanistic understanding of how this difference arises remains unknown. Here we use brain organoids3 to show that although sex chromosomal complement has no observable effect on neurogenesis, sex steroids-namely androgens-lead to increased proliferation of cortical progenitors and an increased neurogenic pool. Transcriptomic analysis and functional studies demonstrate downstream effects on histone deacetylase activity and the mTOR pathway. Finally, we show that androgens specifically increase the neurogenic output of excitatory neuronal progenitors, whereas inhibitory neuronal progenitors are not increased. These findings reveal a role for androgens in regulating the number of excitatory neurons and represent a step towards understanding the origin of sex-related brain differences in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iva Kelava
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK. .,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK.
| | - Ilaria Chiaradia
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laura Pellegrini
- Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alex T Kalinka
- Milner Therapeutics Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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42
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Taylor AM, Chadwick CI, Mehrabani S, Hrncir H, Arnold AP, Evans CJ. Sex differences in kappa opioid receptor antinociception is influenced by the number of X chromosomes in mouse. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:183-190. [PMID: 32731302 PMCID: PMC8452150 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Kappa opioid receptor (KOR) agonists produce robust analgesia with minimal abuse liability and are considered promising pharmacological agents to manage chronic pain and itch. The KOR system is also notable for robust differences between the sexes, with females exhibiting lower analgesic response than males. Sexually dimorphic traits can be due to either the influence of gonadal hormones during development or adulthood, or due to the complement of genes expressed on the X or Y chromosome. Previous studies examining sex differences in KOR antinociception have relied on surgical or pharmacological manipulation of the gonads to determine whether sex hormones influence KOR function. While there are conflicting reports whether gonadal hormones influence KOR function, no study has examined these effects in context with sex chromosomes. Here, we use two genetic mouse models, the four core genotypes and XY*, to isolate the chromosomal and hormonal contributions to sex differences in KOR analgesia. Mice were treated with systemic KOR agonist (U50,488H) and thermal analgesia measured in the tail withdrawal assay. We found that KOR antinociception was influenced predominantly by the number of the X chromosomes. These data suggest that the dose and/or parental imprint on X gene(s) contribute significantly to the sexually dimorphism in KOR analgesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M.W. Taylor
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada,Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Caylin I. Chadwick
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Sadaf Mehrabani
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Haley Hrncir
- Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Arthur P. Arnold
- Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Christopher J. Evans
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, USA
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43
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Grinshpan N, Abayed FA, Wahl M, Ner-Gaon H, Manor R, Sagi A, Shay T. The transcriptional landscape of the giant freshwater prawn: Embryonic development and early sexual differentiation mechanisms. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1059936. [PMID: 36568080 PMCID: PMC9767951 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1059936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The giant freshwater prawn pjMacrobrachium rosenbergii is one of the best studied species in aquaculture. However, the transcriptional changes associated with embryonic development and the sexual differentiation mechanism of M. rosenbergii remain to be elucidated. To characterize the embryonic development of this prawn and to determine whether differential expression and differential splicing play roles in the early sexual differentiation of M. rosenbergii, we profiled five developmental days of male and female embryos by RNA sequencing. We identified modules of co-expressed genes representing waves of transcription that correspond to physiological processes in early embryonic development (such as the maternal-to-zygotic transition) up to preparation for life outside the egg (development of muscles, cuticle etc.). Additionally, we found that hundreds of genes are differentially expressed between sexes, most of them uncharacterized, suggesting that the sex differentiation mechanism of M. rosenbergii might contain clade-specific elements. The resulting first-of-a-kind transcriptional map of embryonic development of male and female M. rosenbergii will guide future studies to reveal the roles of specific genes and splicing isoforms in the embryonic development and sexual differentiation process of M. rosenbergii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nufar Grinshpan
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Faiza A.A. Abayed
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Melody Wahl
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Hadas Ner-Gaon
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Rivka Manor
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Amir Sagi
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- The National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- *Correspondence: Amir Sagi, ; Tal Shay,
| | - Tal Shay
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- *Correspondence: Amir Sagi, ; Tal Shay,
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44
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Sex differences in white adipose tissue expansion: emerging molecular mechanisms. Clin Sci (Lond) 2021; 135:2691-2708. [PMID: 34908104 DOI: 10.1042/cs20210086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The escalating prevalence of individuals becoming overweight and obese is a rapidly rising global health problem, placing an enormous burden on health and economic systems worldwide. Whilst obesity has well described lifestyle drivers, there is also a significant and poorly understood component that is regulated by genetics. Furthermore, there is clear evidence for sexual dimorphism in obesity, where overall risk, degree, subtype and potential complications arising from obesity all differ between males and females. The molecular mechanisms that dictate these sex differences remain mostly uncharacterised. Many studies have demonstrated that this dimorphism is unable to be solely explained by changes in hormones and their nuclear receptors alone, and instead manifests from coordinated and highly regulated gene networks, both during development and throughout life. As we acquire more knowledge in this area from approaches such as large-scale genomic association studies, the more we appreciate the true complexity and heterogeneity of obesity. Nevertheless, over the past two decades, researchers have made enormous progress in this field, and some consistent and robust mechanisms continue to be established. In this review, we will discuss some of the proposed mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in obesity, and discuss some of the key regulators that influence this phenomenon.
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45
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Maier MC, McInerney MRA, Graves JAM, Charchar FJ. Noncoding Genes on Sex Chromosomes and Their Function in Sex Determination, Dosage Compensation, Male Traits, and Diseases. Sex Dev 2021; 15:432-440. [PMID: 34794153 DOI: 10.1159/000519622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian Y chromosome has evolved in many species into a specialized chromosome that contributes to sex development among other male phenotypes. This function is well studied in terms of protein-coding genes. Less is known about the noncoding genome on the Y chromosome and its contribution to both sex development and other traits. Once considered junk genetic material, noncoding RNAs are now known to contribute to the regulation of gene expression and to play an important role in refining cellular functions. The prime examples are noncoding genes on the X chromosome, which mitigate the differential dosage of genes on sex chromosomes. Here, we discuss the evolution of noncoding RNAs on the Y chromosome and the emerging evidence of how micro, long, and circular noncoding RNAs transcribed from the Y chromosome contribute to sex differentiation. We briefly touch on emerging evidence that these noncoding RNAs also contribute to some other important clinical phenotypes in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Maier
- Health Innovation & Transformation Centre, Federation University, Mt Helen, Victoria, Australia.,School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
| | - Molly-Rose A McInerney
- Health Innovation & Transformation Centre, Federation University, Mt Helen, Victoria, Australia.,School of Science, Psychology and Sport, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Fadi J Charchar
- Health Innovation & Transformation Centre, Federation University, Mt Helen, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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46
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Abstract
Significant sex differences exist across cellular, tissue organization, and body system scales to serve the distinct sex-specific functions required for reproduction. They are present in all animals that reproduce sexually and have widespread impacts on normal development, aging, and disease. Observed from the moment of fertilization, sex differences are patterned by sexual differentiation, a lifelong process that involves mechanisms related to sex chromosome complement and the epigenetic and acute activational effects of sex hormones. In this mini-review, we examine evidence for sex differences in cellular responses to DNA damage, their underlying mechanisms, and how they might relate to sex differences in cancer incidence and response to DNA-damaging treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Broestl
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joshua B Rubin
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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47
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Chen Q, Hou D, Suo Y, Zhu Z. LncRNA XIST Prevents Tendon Adhesion and Promotes Tendon Repair Through the miR-26a-5p/COX2 Pathway. Mol Biotechnol 2021; 64:424-433. [PMID: 34714511 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-021-00419-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Tendon adhesion is the biggest obstacle to repair of tendon injury. Long-chain non-coding RNA X-inactive specific transcript (lncRNA XIST) is highly expressed in populations at high risk of tendon injury. However, whether XIST participates in tendon injury and the specific mechanism remain unknown. Here, we aimed to explore the effects and underlying mechanism of XIST in tendon injury. A mouse model of tendon injury was constructed by the transection method in vivo. XIST and COX2 were highly expressed in tendon tissues of mice with tendon injury, while miR-26a-5p was lowly expressed. Fibroblasts were isolated from tendon injury mice. Overexpression of XIST promoted fibroblast proliferation and upregulated α-SMA and Collagen I protein expression, while silencing XIST indicated the opposite effects. Further dual-luciferase reporter gene assay and RIP assay verified a targeting relationship between XIST and miR-26a-5p, as well as miR-26a-5p and COX2, and XIST targeted miR-26a-5p to act on COX2 expression. miR-26a-5p inhibition and COX2 overexpression reversed the decrease in fibroblast proliferation and the downregulation of α-SMA and Collagen I expression caused by XIST silencing, while interference with si-COX2 eliminated the effects of miR-26a-5p inhibitor. This study revealed that XIST promoted fibroblast proliferation and the formation of tendon adhesion through miR-26a-5p/COX2 pathway, suggesting that XIST/miR-26a-5p/COX2 may be a potential target for the treatment of tendon injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Chen
- Medical College of Soochow University, Soochow, 215006, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.,Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, 158# Shangtang Rd., Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongjie Hou
- Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, 158# Shangtang Rd., Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Suo
- Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, 158# Shangtang Rd., Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ziguan Zhu
- Department of Plastic and Hand Surgery, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Hangzhou Medical College, 158# Shangtang Rd., Hangzhou, 310014, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China.
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48
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Sikes-Keilp C, Rubinow DR. In search of sex-related mediators of affective illness. Biol Sex Differ 2021; 12:55. [PMID: 34663459 PMCID: PMC8524875 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in the rates of affective disorders have been recognized for decades. Studies of physiologic sex-related differences in animals and humans, however, have generally yielded little in terms of explaining these differences. Furthermore, the significance of these findings is difficult to interpret given the dynamic, integrative, and highly context-dependent nature of human physiology. In this article, we provide an overview of the current literature on sex differences as they relate to mood disorders, organizing existing findings into five levels at which sex differences conceivably influence physiology relevant to affective states. These levels include the following: brain structure, network connectivity, signal transduction, transcription/translation, and epigenesis. We then evaluate the importance and limitations of this body of work, as well as offer perspectives on the future of research into sex differences. In creating this overview, we attempt to bring perspective to a body of research that is complex, poorly synthesized, and far from complete, as well as provide a theoretical framework for thinking about the role that sex differences ultimately play in affective regulation. Despite the overall gaps regarding both the underlying pathogenesis of affective illness and the role of sex-related factors in the development of affective disorders, it is evident that sex should be considered as an important contributor to alterations in neural function giving rise to susceptibility to and expression of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Rubinow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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49
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Mank JE, Rideout EJ. Developmental mechanisms of sex differences: from cells to organisms. Development 2021; 148:272484. [PMID: 34647574 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Male-female differences in many developmental mechanisms lead to the formation of two morphologically and physiologically distinct sexes. Although this is expected for traits with prominent differences between the sexes, such as the gonads, sex-specific processes also contribute to traits without obvious male-female differences, such as the intestine. Here, we review sex differences in developmental mechanisms that operate at several levels of biological complexity - molecular, cellular, organ and organismal - and discuss how these differences influence organ formation, function and whole-body physiology. Together, the examples we highlight show that one simple way to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of animal development is to include both sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
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50
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Yuan S, Wang N, Wang JL, Pan J, Xue XY, Zhang YN, Ma T. Gender differences in Damp-Heat Syndrome: A review. Biomed Pharmacother 2021; 143:112128. [PMID: 34492424 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender differences have important biological significance for medical research. In this study, a bias towards males was identified in animal experiments of Damp-Heat Syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine, as was first proposed by a data mining method. Combined with the correlation between Damp-Heat Syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine and Gender differences, it was considered that Gender-related factors have a significant influence on the development of Damp-Heat Syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. However, most traditional Chinese medicine studies ignore the key significance of Gender-related factors. This study emphasises that the development of modern traditional Chinese medicine research needs to pay full attention to the biological significance of Gender-related factors and to apply this concept to the research on the Gender equivalence strategy in basic research and the practice of personalised medical diagnosis and clinical treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Yuan
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China
| | - Ning Wang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Literature and Culture, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China
| | - Jun-Lei Wang
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine Literature and Culture, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China
| | - Jin Pan
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China
| | - Xiao-Yan Xue
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China
| | - Ya-Nan Zhang
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China; Shandong Co-Innovation Centre of Classic TCM formula, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China.
| | - Ting Ma
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China; Shandong Co-Innovation Centre of Classic TCM formula, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, PR China.
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