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Park S, Kim J, Lee J, Jung S, Pack SP, Lee JH, Yoon K, Woo SJ, Han JY, Seo M. RNA sequencing analysis of sexual dimorphism in Japanese quail. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1441021. [PMID: 39104546 PMCID: PMC11299063 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1441021] [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: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Japanese quail are of significant economic value, providing protein nutrition to humans through their reproductive activity; however, sexual dimorphism in this species remains relatively unexplored compared with other model species. Method A total of 114 RNA sequencing datasets (18 and 96 samples for quail and chicken, respectively) were collected from existing studies to gain a comprehensive understanding of sexual dimorphism in quail. Cross-species integrated analyses were performed with transcriptome data from evolutionarily close chickens to identify sex-biased genes in the embryonic, adult brain, and gonadal tissues. Results Our findings indicate that the expression patterns of genes involved in sex-determination mechanisms during embryonic development, as well as those of most sex-biased genes in the adult brain and gonads, are identical between quails and chickens. Similar to most birds with a ZW sex determination system, quails lacked global dosage compensation for the Z chromosome, resulting in directional outcomes that supported the hypothesis that sex is determined by the individual dosage of Z-chromosomal genes, including long non-coding RNAs located in the male hypermethylated region. Furthermore, genes, such as WNT4 and VIP, reversed their sex-biased patterns at different points in embryonic development and/or in different adult tissues, suggesting a potential hurdle in breeding and transgenic experiments involving avian sex-related traits. Discussion The findings of this study are expected to enhance our understanding of sexual dimorphism in birds and subsequently facilitate insights into the field of breeding and transgenesis of sex-related traits that economically benefit humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sinwoo Park
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Korea University, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeryeong Kim
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Korea University, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinbaek Lee
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Korea University, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungyoon Jung
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Korea University, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Pil Pack
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Korea University, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Hyup Lee
- Department of Food and Biotechnology, Korea University, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyungheon Yoon
- Division of Genome Science, Department of Precision Medicine, National Institue of Health, Cheongju-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Je Woo
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Yong Han
- Department of Agricultural Biotechnology and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Minseok Seo
- Department of Computer and Information Science, Korea University, Sejong-si, Republic of Korea
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2
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Maged G, Abdelsamed MA, Wang H, Lotfy A. The potency of mesenchymal stem/stromal cells: does donor sex matter? Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 15:112. [PMID: 38644508 PMCID: PMC11034072 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-024-03722-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are a promising therapeutic tool in cell therapy and tissue engineering because of their multi-lineage differentiation capacity, immunomodulatory effects, and tissue protective potential. To achieve optimal results as a therapeutic tool, factors affecting MSC potency, including but not limited to cell source, donor age, and cell batch, have been investigated. Although the sex of the donor has been attributed as a potential factor that can influence MSC potency and efficacy, the impact of donor sex on MSC characteristics has not been carefully investigated. In this review, we summarize published studies demonstrating donor-sex-related MSC heterogeneity and emphasize the importance of disclosing donor sex as a key factor affecting MSC potency in cell therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghada Maged
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Menna A Abdelsamed
- Biotechnology and Life Sciences Department, Faculty of Postgraduate studies for Advanced Sciences, Beni-Suef University, Beni Suef, Egypt
| | - Hongjun Wang
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, 29425, Charleston, SC, USA.
- Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - Ahmed Lotfy
- Department of Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, 29425, Charleston, SC, USA.
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3
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Degalez F, Charles M, Foissac S, Zhou H, Guan D, Fang L, Klopp C, Allain C, Lagoutte L, Lecerf F, Acloque H, Giuffra E, Pitel F, Lagarrigue S. Enriched atlas of lncRNA and protein-coding genes for the GRCg7b chicken assembly and its functional annotation across 47 tissues. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6588. [PMID: 38504112 PMCID: PMC10951430 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56705-y] [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: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Gene atlases for livestock are steadily improving thanks to new genome assemblies and new expression data improving the gene annotation. However, gene content varies across databases due to differences in RNA sequencing data and bioinformatics pipelines, especially for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) which have higher tissue and developmental specificity and are harder to consistently identify compared to protein coding genes (PCGs). As done previously in 2020 for chicken assemblies galgal5 and GRCg6a, we provide a new gene atlas, lncRNA-enriched, for the latest GRCg7b chicken assembly, integrating "NCBI RefSeq", "EMBL-EBI Ensembl/GENCODE" reference annotations and other resources such as FAANG and NONCODE. As a result, the number of PCGs increases from 18,022 (RefSeq) and 17,007 (Ensembl) to 24,102, and that of lncRNAs from 5789 (RefSeq) and 11,944 (Ensembl) to 44,428. Using 1400 public RNA-seq transcriptome representing 47 tissues, we provided expression evidence for 35,257 (79%) lncRNAs and 22,468 (93%) PCGs, supporting the relevance of this atlas. Further characterization including tissue-specificity, sex-differential expression and gene configurations are provided. We also identified conserved miRNA-hosting genes with human counterparts, suggesting common function. The annotated atlas is available at gega.sigenae.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Degalez
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
| | - Mathieu Charles
- INRAE, BioinfOmics, GenoToul Bioinformatics facility, Sigenae, Université Fédérale de Toulouse, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Paris-Saclay University, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Sylvain Foissac
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | | | - Dailu Guan
- University of California Davis, Davis, USA
| | | | - Christophe Klopp
- INRAE, BioinfOmics, GenoToul Bioinformatics facility, Sigenae, Université Fédérale de Toulouse, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
| | - Coralie Allain
- PEGASE, INRAE, Institut Agro, 35590, Saint Gilles, France
| | | | | | - Hervé Acloque
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Paris-Saclay University, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Elisabetta Giuffra
- INRAE, AgroParisTech, GABI, Paris-Saclay University, 78350, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - Frédérique Pitel
- GenPhySE, Université de Toulouse, INRAE, ENVT, 31326, Castanet-Tolosan, France
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4
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Thej C, Kishore R. Epigenetic regulation of sex dimorphism in cardiovascular health. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 2024. [PMID: 38427976 DOI: 10.1139/cjpp-2023-0406] [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: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, affecting people of all races, ages, and sexes. Substantial sex dimorphism exists in the prevalence, manifestation, and outcomes of CVDs. Understanding the role of sex hormones as well as sex-hormone-independent epigenetic mechanisms could play a crucial role in developing effective and sex-specific cardiovascular therapeutics. Existing research highlights significant disparities in sex hormones, epigenetic regulators, and gene expression related to cardiac health, emphasizing the need for a nuanced understanding of these variations between men and women. Despite these differences, current treatment approaches for CVDs often lack sex-specific considerations. A pivotal shift toward personalized medicine, informed by comprehensive insights into sex-specific DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA dynamics, holds the potential to revolutionize CVD management. By understanding sex-specific epigenetic complexities, independent of sex hormone influence, future cardiovascular research can be tailored to achieve effective diagnostic and therapeutic interventions for both men and women. This review summarizes the current knowledge and gaps in epigenetic mechanisms and sex dimorphism implicated in CVDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charan Thej
- Aging and Cardiovascular Discovery Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Raj Kishore
- Aging and Cardiovascular Discovery Center, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
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5
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Ruebel ML, Borengasser SJ, Zhong Y, Kang P, Faske J, Shankar K. Maternal Exercise Prior to and during Gestation Induces Sex-Specific Alterations in the Mouse Placenta. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16441. [PMID: 38003633 PMCID: PMC10671464 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216441] [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: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
While exercise (EX) during pregnancy is beneficial for both mother and child, little is known about the mechanisms by which maternal exercise mediates changes in utero. Six-week-old female C57BL/6 mice were divided into two groups: with (exercise, EX; N = 7) or without (sedentary, SED; N = 8) access to voluntary running wheels. EX was provided via 24 h access to wheels for 10 weeks prior to conception until late pregnancy (18.5 days post coitum). Sex-stratified placentas and fetal livers were collected. Microarray analysis of SED and EX placentas revealed that EX affected gene transcript expression of 283 and 661 transcripts in male and female placentas, respectively (±1.4-fold, p < 0.05). Gene Set Enrichment and Ingenuity Pathway Analyses of male placentas showed that EX led to inhibition of signaling pathways, biological functions, and down-regulation of transcripts related to lipid and steroid metabolism, while EX in female placentas led to activation of pathways, biological functions, and gene expression related to muscle growth, brain, vascular development, and growth factors. Overall, our results suggest that the effects of maternal EX on the placenta and presumably on the offspring are sexually dimorphic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan L. Ruebel
- Microbiome and Metabolism Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Southeast Area, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA;
- Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
| | - Sarah J. Borengasser
- Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA;
- Harold Hamm Diabetes Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
- Department of Pediatrics—Endocrinology & Diabetes, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - Ying Zhong
- Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
| | - Ping Kang
- Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
| | - Jennifer Faske
- Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (Y.Z.); (J.F.)
- Division of Genetic and Molecular Toxicology, National Center for Toxicological Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Jefferson, AR 72079, USA
| | - Kartik Shankar
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Nutrition, University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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6
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Robinson CD, Hale MD, Wittman TN, Cox CL, John-Alder HB, Cox RM. Species differences in hormonally mediated gene expression underlie the evolutionary loss of sexually dimorphic coloration in Sceloporus lizards. J Hered 2023; 114:637-653. [PMID: 37498153 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esad046] [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: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic sexual dimorphism often involves the hormonal regulation of sex-biased expression for underlying genes. However, it is generally unknown whether the evolution of hormonally mediated sexual dimorphism occurs through upstream changes in tissue sensitivity to hormone signals, downstream changes in responsiveness of target genes, or both. Here, we use comparative transcriptomics to explore these possibilities in 2 species of Sceloporus lizards exhibiting different patterns of sexual dichromatism. Sexually dimorphic S. undulatus develops blue and black ventral coloration in response to testosterone, while sexually monomorphic S. virgatus does not, despite exhibiting similar sex differences in circulating testosterone levels. We administered testosterone implants to juveniles of each species and used RNAseq to quantify gene expression in ventral skin. Transcriptome-wide responses to testosterone were stronger in S. undulatus than in S. virgatus, suggesting species differences in tissue sensitivity to this hormone signal. Species differences in the expression of genes for androgen metabolism and sex hormone-binding globulin were consistent with this idea, but expression of the androgen receptor gene was higher in S. virgatus, complicating this interpretation. Downstream of androgen signaling, we found clear species differences in hormonal responsiveness of genes related to melanin synthesis, which were upregulated by testosterone in S. undulatus, but not in S. virgatus. Collectively, our results indicate that hormonal regulation of melanin synthesis pathways contributes to the development of sexual dimorphism in S. undulatus, and that changes in the hormonal responsiveness of these genes in S. virgatus contribute to the evolutionary loss of ventral coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew D Hale
- University of Virginia, Department of Biology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Tyler N Wittman
- University of Virginia, Department of Biology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Christian L Cox
- Florida International University, Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Henry B John-Alder
- Rutgers University, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Natural Resources, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Robert M Cox
- University of Virginia, Department of Biology, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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7
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Chen W, Zhou W, Li Q, Mao X. Sex differences in gene expression and alternative splicing in the Chinese horseshoe bat. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15231. [PMID: 37123006 PMCID: PMC10135408 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic traits are common in sexually reproducing organisms and can be encoded by differential gene regulation between males and females. Although alternative splicing is common mechanism in generating transcriptional diversity, its role in generating sex differences relative to differential gene expression is less clear. Here, we investigate the relative roles of differential gene expression and alternative splicing between male and female the horseshoe bat species, Rhinolophus sinicus. Horseshoe bats are an excellent model to study acoustic differences between sexes. Using RNA-seq analyses of two somatic tissues (brain and liver) from males and females of the same population, we identified 3,471 and 2,208 differentially expressed genes between the sexes (DEGs) in the brain and liver, respectively. DEGs were enriched with functional categories associated with physiological difference of the sexes (e.g.,gamete generation and energy production for reproduction in females). In addition, we also detected many differentially spliced genes between the sexes (DSGs, 2,231 and 1,027 in the brain and liver, respectively) which were mainly involved in regulation of RNA splicing and mRNA metabolic process. Interestingly, we found a significant enrichment of DEGs on the X chromosome, but not for DSGs. As for the extent of overlap between the two sets of genes, more than expected overlap of DEGs and DSGs was observed in the brain but not in the liver. This suggests that more complex tissues, such as the brain, may require the intricate and simultaneous interplay of both differential gene expression and splicing of genes to govern sex-specific functions. Overall, our results support that variation in gene expression and alternative splicing are important and complementary mechanisms governing sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenli Chen
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiwei Zhou
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qianqian Li
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiuguang Mao
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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8
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Li H, He W, Wang T, Cui C, Zhang J, Chen X. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed genes involved in the sexual size dimorphisms and expressed sequence tag-Simple Sequence Repeat loci validation in Odorrana graminea. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1159037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is widespread among animals and is characterized by differences in body size between sexes. Previous studies suggested SSD might reflect the adaptations of particular sexes to their specific reproductive or ecological roles. The large green cascade frogs (Odorrana graminea) exhibit obvious SSD that females are nearly twice the body size of males. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying SSD of O. graminea are still unknown. In the present study, we first obtained nearly 5 Gb of the transcriptome data through Illumina sequencing, and the de novo transcriptome assembly produced 189,868 unigenes of O. graminea. A total of 774 significantly sex-differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. Of which, 436 DEGs showed significantly higher expression levels in females than those in males, whereas 338 DEGs showed significantly lower expression in females than those in males. We also found 10 sex-differentially expressed genes related to energy metabolism between sexes of O. graminea, and these DEGs were related to the estrogen signaling pathway, oxidative phosphorylation, fatty acid biosynthesis, gastric acid secretion, and nitrogen metabolism. We found that the differences in energy metabolism and steroid hormone synthesis might be the main driving force leading to the sexual growth dimorphism of O. graminea. In addition, a total of 63,269 potential EST-SSR loci and 4,669 EST-SSR loci were detected and validated in different populations of O. graminea and other species within Odorrana. The assembled transcriptome will facilitate functional genomic studies of O. graminea and the developed EST-SSR markers will contribute to the population genetics of the species within Odorrana. The sex-differentially expressed genes involved in energy metabolism might provide insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying the SSD of O. graminea.
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Reddy KD, Oliver BGG. Sexual dimorphism in chronic respiratory diseases. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:47. [PMID: 36882807 PMCID: PMC9993607 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-00998-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in susceptibility, severity, and progression are prevalent for various diseases in multiple organ systems. This phenomenon is particularly apparent in respiratory diseases. Asthma demonstrates an age-dependent pattern of sexual dimorphism. However, marked differences between males and females exist in other pervasive conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. The sex hormones estrogen and testosterone are commonly considered the primary factors causing sexual dimorphism in disease. However, how they contribute to differences in disease onset between males and females remains undefined. The sex chromosomes are an under-investigated fundamental form of sexual dimorphism. Recent studies highlight key X and Y-chromosome-linked genes that regulate vital cell processes and can contribute to disease-relevant mechanisms. This review summarises patterns of sex differences in asthma, COPD and lung cancer, highlighting physiological mechanisms causing the observed dimorphism. We also describe the role of the sex hormones and present candidate genes on the sex chromosomes as potential factors contributing to sexual dimorphism in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karosham Diren Reddy
- Respiratory and Cellular Molecular Biology Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, 2037, Australia.
- School of Life Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia.
| | - Brian Gregory George Oliver
- Respiratory and Cellular Molecular Biology Group, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, Glebe, NSW, 2037, Australia
- School of Life Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Australia
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10
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Izquierdo AG, Carreira MC, Rodriguez-Carnero G, Perez-Lois R, Seoane LM, Casanueva FF, Crujeiras AB. Gender Dimorphism in Hepatic Carcinogenesis-Related Gene Expression Associated with Obesity as a Low-Grade Chronic Inflammatory Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315002. [PMID: 36499327 PMCID: PMC9739425 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) show clear evidence of sexual dimorphism, with a significantly higher incidence in males. Among the determining factors that could explain this sex-based difference, the specific distribution of fat by sex has been suggested as a primary candidate, since obesity is a relevant risk factor. In this context, obesity, considered a low-grade chronic inflammatory pathology and responsible for the promotion of liver disease, could lead to sexual dimorphism in the expression profile of genes related to tumor development. When we compared the expression levels of genes associated with the early stages of carcinogenesis in the liver between male and female diet-induced obesity (DIO) rats, we observed that the expression pattern was similar in obese male and female animals. Interestingly, the SURVIVIN/BIRC5 oncogene showed a higher expression in male DIO rats than in female DIO and lean rats. This trend related to sexual dimorphism was observed in leukocytes from patients with obesity, although the difference was not statistically significant. In conclusion, this study evidenced a similar pattern in the expression of most carcinogenesis-related genes in the liver, except SUVIVIN/BIRC5, which could be a predictive biomarker of liver carcinogenesis predisposition in male patients with obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea G. Izquierdo
- Epigenomics in Endocrinology and Nutrition Group, Epigenomics Unit, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Marcos C. Carreira
- CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Endocrinology Group, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Gemma Rodriguez-Carnero
- Epigenomics in Endocrinology and Nutrition Group, Epigenomics Unit, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- Division of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Raquel Perez-Lois
- Endocrine Physiopathology Group, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Luisa M. Seoane
- CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Endocrine Physiopathology Group, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Felipe F. Casanueva
- CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Molecular Endocrinology Group, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Ana B. Crujeiras
- Epigenomics in Endocrinology and Nutrition Group, Epigenomics Unit, Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (IDIS), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago de Compostela (CHUS/SERGAS), 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn), 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: or ; Tel.: +34-981-955-710
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Szafran B, Borazjani A, Scheaffer HL, Crow JA, McBride AM, Adekanye O, Wonnacott CB, Lehner R, Kaplan BLF, Ross MK. Carboxylesterase 1d Inactivation Augments Lung Inflammation in Mice. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2022; 5:919-931. [PMID: 36268116 PMCID: PMC9578131 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.2c00098] [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: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Carboxylesterases are members of the serine hydrolase superfamily and metabolize drugs, pesticides, and lipids. Previous research showed that inhibition of carboxylesterase 1 (CES1) in human macrophages altered the immunomodulatory effects of lipid mediators called prostaglandin glyceryl esters, which are produced by cyclooxygenase-catalyzed oxygenation of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). Ces1d - the mouse ortholog of human CES1 - is the most abundant Ces isoform in murine lung tissues and alveolar macrophages and a major target of organophosphate poisons. Monoacylglycerol lipase (Magl) is also expressed in murine lung and is the main enzyme responsible for 2-AG catabolism. Several metabolic benefits are observed in Ces1d-/- mice fed a high-fat diet; thus, we wondered whether pharmacological and genetic inactivation of Ces1d in vivo might also ameliorate the acute inflammatory response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). C57BL/6 mice were treated with WWL229 (Ces1d inhibitor) or JZL184 (Magl inhibitor), followed 30 min later by either LPS or saline. Wild-type (WT) and Ces1d-/- mice were also administered LPS to determine the effect of Ces1d knockout. Mice were sacrificed at 6 and 24 h, and cytokines were assessed in serum, lung, liver, and adipose tissues. Lipid mediators were quantified in lung tissues, while activity-based protein profiling and enzyme assays determined the extent of lung serine hydrolase inactivation by the inhibitors. WWL229 was shown to augment LPS-induced lung inflammation in a female-specific manner, as measured by enhanced neutrophil infiltration and Il1b mRNA. The marked Ces inhibition in female lung by 4 h after drug treatment might explain this sex difference, although the degree of Ces inhibition in female and male lungs was similar at 6 h. In addition, induction of lung Il6 mRNA and prostaglandin E2 by LPS was more pronounced in Ces1d-/- mice than in WT mice. Thus, WWL229 inhibited lung Ces1d activity and augmented the female lung innate immune response, an effect observed in part in Ces1d-/- mice and Ces1d/CES1-deficient murine and human macrophages. In contrast, JZL184 attenuated LPS-induced Il1b and Il6 mRNA levels in female lung, suggesting that Ces1d and Magl have opposing effects. Mapping the immunomodulatory molecules/pathways that are regulated by Ces1d in the context of lung inflammation will require further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany
N. Szafran
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Abdolsamad Borazjani
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Hannah L. Scheaffer
- Department
of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, and Plant Pathology,
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - J. Allen Crow
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Ann Marie McBride
- Department
of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Oluwabori Adekanye
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Caitlin B. Wonnacott
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Richard Lehner
- Departments
of Cell Biology and Pediatrics, Group on Molecular & Cell Biology
of Lipids, University of Alberta, Edmonton, ABT6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Barbara L. F. Kaplan
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
| | - Matthew K. Ross
- Department
of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Center for Environmental Health
Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi39762, United States
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12
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Maiti S, MaitiDutta S, Chen G. Regulations of expressions of rat/human sulfotransferases by anticancer drug, nolatrexed, and micronutrients. Anticancer Drugs 2022; 33:e525-e533. [PMID: 34387600 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000001155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is related to the cellular proliferative state. Increase in cell-cycle regulatory function augments cellular folate pool. This pathway is therapeutically targeted. A number of drugs influences this metabolism, that is, folic acid, folinic acid, nolatrexed, and methotrexate. Our previous study showed methotrexate influences on rat/human sulfotransferases. Present study explains the effect of nolatrexed (widely used in different cancers) and some micronutrients on the expressions of rat/human sulfotransferases. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with nolatrexed (01-100 mg/kg) and rats of both sexes were treated to folic acid (100, 200, or 400 mg/kg) for 2-weeks and their aryl sulfotransferase-IV (AST-IV; β-napthol sulfation) and sulfotransferase (STa; DHEA sulfation) activities, protein expression (western blot) and mRNA expression (RT-PCR) were tested. In human-cultured hepatocarcinoma (HepG2) cells nolatrexed (1 nM-1.2 mM) or folinic acid (10 nM-10 μM) were applied for 10 days. Folic acid (0-10 μM) was treated to HepG2 cells. PPST (phenol catalyzing), MPST (dopamine and monoamine), DHEAST (dehydroepiandrosterone and DHEA), and EST (estradiol sulfating) protein expressions (western-blot) were tested in HepG2 cells. Present results suggest that nolatrexed significantly increased sulfotransferases expressions in rat (protein, STa, F = 4.87, P < 0.05/mRNA, AST-IV, F = 6.702, P < 0.014; Student's t test, P < 0.01-0.05) and HepG2 cells. Folic acid increased sulfotransferases activity/protein in gender-dependant manner. Both folic and folinic acid increased several human sulfotransferases isoforms with varied level of significance (least or no increase at highest dose) in HepG2 cells pointing its dose-dependent multiphasic responses. The clinical importance of this study may be furthered in the verification of sulfation metabolism of several exogenous/endogenous molecules, drug-drug interaction and their influences on cancer pathophysiological processes. Further studies are necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smarajit Maiti
- Cell and Molecular Therapeutics Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Oriental Institute of Science and Technology
- Epidemiology and Human Health Division, Founder and Secretary, Agricure Biotech Research Society
| | - Sangita MaitiDutta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Midnapore City College, Midnapore, West Bengal, India
| | - Guangping Chen
- Venture I OSU Laboratory, Oklahoma Technology & Research Park, Innovation Way, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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13
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Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Revealed Genes Involved in Sexual and Polyploid Growth Dimorphisms in Loach ( Misgurnus anguillicaudatus). BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10090935. [PMID: 34571812 PMCID: PMC8468957 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Misgurnus anguillicaudatus not only exhibits sexual size dimorphism, but also shows polyploid size dimorphism. Here, we performed comparative transcriptome integration analysis of multiple tissues of diploid and tetraploid M. anguillicaudatus of both sexes. We found that differences in energy metabolism and steroid hormone synthesis levels may be the main causes of sexual and polyploidy growth dimorphisms of M. anguillicaudatus. Fast-growing M. anguillicaudatus (tetraploids, females) have higher levels of energy metabolism and lower steroid hormone synthesis and fatty acid degradation abilities than slow-growing M. anguillicaudatus (diploids, males). Abstract Sexual and polyploidy size dimorphisms are widespread phenomena in fish, but the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) displays both sexual and polyploid growth dimorphism phenomena, and are therefore ideal models to study these two phenomena. In this study, RNA-seq was used for the first time to explore the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between both sexes of diploid and tetraploid loaches in four tissues (brain, gonad, liver, and muscle). Results showed that 21,003, 17, and 1 DEGs were identified in gonad, liver, and muscle tissues, respectively, between females and males in both diploids and tetraploids. Regarding the ploidy levels, 4956, 1496, 2187, and 1726 DEGs were identified in the brain, gonad, liver, and muscle tissues, respectively, between tetraploids and diploids of the same sex. When both sexual and polyploid size dimorphisms were considered simultaneously in the four tissues, only 424 DEGs were found in the gonads, indicating that these gonadal DEGs may play an important regulatory role in regulating sexual and polyploid size dimorphisms. Regardless of the sex or ploidy comparison, the significant DEGs involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways were upregulated in faster-growing individuals, while steroid hormone biosynthesis-related genes and fatty acid degradation and elongation-related genes were downregulated. This suggests that fast-growing loaches (tetraploids, females) have higher energy metabolism levels and lower steroid hormone synthesis and fatty acid degradation abilities than slow-growing loaches (diploids, males). Our findings provide an archive for future systematic research on fish sexual and polyploid dimorphisms.
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14
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Zhang J, Li Y, Luo S, Cao M, Zhang L, Li X. Differential gene expression patterns during gametophyte development provide insights into sex differentiation in the dioicous kelp Saccharina japonica. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 21:335. [PMID: 34261451 PMCID: PMC8278619 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-021-03117-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In brown algae, dioicy is the prevalent sexual system, and phenotypic differences between male and female gametophytes have been found in many dioicous species. Saccharina japonica show remarkable sexual dimorphism in gametophytes before gametogenesis. A higher level of phenotypic differentiation was also found in female and male gametes after gametogenesis. However, the patterns of differential gene expression throughout gametophyte development and how these changes might relate to sex-specific fitness at the gamete stage in S. japonica are not well known. RESULTS In this study, differences in gene expression between male and female gametophytes in different developmental stages were investigated using comparative transcriptome analysis. Among the 20,151 genes expressed in the haploid gametophyte generation, 37.53% were sex-biased. The abundance of sex-biased genes in mature gametophytes was much higher than that in immature gametophytes, and more male-biased than female-biased genes were observed in the mature stage. The predicted functions of most sex-biased genes were closely related to the sex-specific characteristics of gametes, including cell wall biosynthesis, sperm motility, and sperm and egg recognition. In addition, 51 genes were specifically expressed in males in both stages, showing great potential as candidate male sex-determining region (SDR) genes. CONCLUSIONS This study describes a thorough investigation into differential gene expression between male and female gametophytes in the dioicous kelp S. japonica. A large number of sex-biased genes in mature gametophytes may be associated with the divergence of phenotypic traits and physiological functions between female gametes (eggs) and male gametes (sperm) during sexual differentiation. These genes may mainly come from new sex-biased genes that have recently evolved in the S. japonica lineage. The duplication of sex-biased genes was detected, which may increase the number of sex-biased genes after gametogenesis in S. japonica to some extent. The excess of male-biased genes over female-biased genes in the mature stage may reflect the different levels of sexual selection across sexes. This study deepens our understanding of the regulation of sex development and differentiation in the dioicous kelp S. japonica.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaxun Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Yan Li
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China, Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-Tech Co., Ltd., Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Shiju Luo
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China, Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-Tech Co., Ltd., Yantai, 264003, China
| | - Min Cao
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Linan Zhang
- School of Marine Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China.
| | - Xiaojie Li
- National Engineering Science Research & Development Center of Algae and Sea Cucumbers of China, Provincial Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement & Efficient Culture of Marine Algae of Shandong, Shandong Oriental Ocean Sci-Tech Co., Ltd., Yantai, 264003, China
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15
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Salisbury DA, Casero D, Zhang Z, Wang D, Kim J, Wu X, Vergnes L, Mirza AH, Leon-Mimila P, Williams KJ, Huertas-Vazquez A, Jaffrey SR, Reue K, Chen J, Sallam T. Transcriptional regulation of N 6-methyladenosine orchestrates sex-dimorphic metabolic traits. Nat Metab 2021; 3:940-953. [PMID: 34282353 PMCID: PMC8422857 DOI: 10.1038/s42255-021-00427-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Males and females exhibit striking differences in the prevalence of metabolic traits including hepatic steatosis, a key driver of cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality. RNA methylation is a widespread regulatory mechanism of transcript turnover. Here, we show that presence of the RNA modification N6-methyladenosine (m6A) triages lipogenic transcripts for degradation and guards against hepatic triglyceride accumulation. In male but not female mice, this protective checkpoint stalls under lipid-rich conditions. Loss of m6A control in male livers increases hepatic triglyceride stores, leading to a more 'feminized' hepatic lipid composition. Crucially, liver-specific deletion of the m6A complex protein Mettl14 from male and female mice significantly diminishes sex-specific differences in steatosis. We further surmise that the m6A installing machinery is subject to transcriptional control by the sex-responsive BCL6-STAT5 axis in response to dietary conditions. These data show that m6A is essential for precise and synchronized control of lipogenic enzyme activity and provide insights into the molecular basis for the existence of sex-specific differences in hepatic lipid traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Salisbury
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - David Casero
- F. Widjaja Foundation Inflammatory Bowel & Immunobiology Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhengyi Zhang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dan Wang
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jason Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Xiaohui Wu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laurent Vergnes
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aashiq H Mirza
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paola Leon-Mimila
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Unidad de Genómica de Poblaciones Aplicada a la Salud, Facultad de Química, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Kevin J Williams
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adriana Huertas-Vazquez
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samie R Jaffrey
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Karen Reue
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jianjun Chen
- Department of Systems Biology, The Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Tamer Sallam
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Molecular Biology Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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16
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Mun SH, Jastrzebski S, Kalinowski J, Zeng S, Oh B, Bae S, Eugenia G, Khan NM, Drissi H, Zhou P, Shin B, Lee S, Lorenzo J, Park‐Min K. Sexual Dimorphism in Differentiating Osteoclast Precursors Demonstrates Enhanced Inflammatory Pathway Activation in Female Cells. J Bone Miner Res 2021; 36:1104-1116. [PMID: 33567098 PMCID: PMC11140852 DOI: 10.1002/jbmr.4270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [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: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism of the skeleton is well documented. At maturity, the male skeleton is typically larger and has a higher bone density than the female skeleton. However, the underlying mechanisms for these differences are not completely understood. In this study, we examined sexual dimorphism in the formation of osteoclasts between cells from female and male mice. We found that the number of osteoclasts in bones was greater in females. Similarly, in vitro osteoclast differentiation was accelerated in female osteoclast precursor (OCP) cells. To further characterize sex differences between female and male osteoclasts, we performed gene expression profiling of cultured, highly purified, murine bone marrow OCPs that had been treated for 3 days with macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL). We found that 125 genes were differentially regulated in a sex-dependent manner. In addition to genes that are contained on sex chromosomes, transcriptional sexual dimorphism was found to be mediated by genes involved in innate immune and inflammatory response pathways. Furthermore, the NF-κB-NFATc1 axis was activated earlier in female differentiating OCPs, which partially explains the differences in transcriptomic sexual dimorphism in these cells. Collectively, these findings identify multigenic sex-dependent intrinsic difference in differentiating OCPs, which results from an altered response to osteoclastogenic stimulation. In humans, these differences could contribute to the lower peak bone mass and increased risk of osteoporosis that females demonstrate relative to males. © 2021 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).
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Affiliation(s)
- Se Hwan Mun
- Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program, David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Research Center Hospital for Special Surgery New York NY USA
| | - Sandra Jastrzebski
- Department of Medicine University of Connecticut Health Farmington CT USA
| | - Judy Kalinowski
- Department of Medicine University of Connecticut Health Farmington CT USA
| | - Steven Zeng
- Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program, David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Research Center Hospital for Special Surgery New York NY USA
| | - Brian Oh
- Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program, David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Research Center Hospital for Special Surgery New York NY USA
| | - Seyeon Bae
- Department of Medicine Weill Cornell Medical College New York NY USA
- Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program, David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Research Center Hospital for Special Surgery New York NY USA
| | - Giannopoulou Eugenia
- Biological Sciences Department New York City College of Technology, City University of New York Brooklyn NY USA
- Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program, David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Research Center Hospital for Special Surgery New York NY USA
| | - Nazir M Khan
- Department of Orthopaedics School of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta GA USA
| | - Hicham Drissi
- Department of Orthopaedics School of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta GA USA
| | - Ping Zhou
- Feil Family Brain & Mind Research Institute (BMRI), Weill Cornell Medical College New York NY USA
| | - Bongjin Shin
- Center on Aging University of Connecticut Health Farmington CT USA
| | - Sun‐Kyeong Lee
- Center on Aging University of Connecticut Health Farmington CT USA
| | - Joseph Lorenzo
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery University of Connecticut Health Farmington CT USA
- Department of Medicine University of Connecticut Health Farmington CT USA
| | - Kyung‐Hyun Park‐Min
- BCMB Allied Program Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences New York NY USA
- Department of Medicine Weill Cornell Medical College New York NY USA
- Arthritis and Tissue Degeneration Program, David Z. Rosensweig Genomics Research Center Hospital for Special Surgery New York NY USA
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17
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Jiang H, Lin JQ, Sun L, Xu YC, Fang SG. Sex-Biased Gene Expression and Evolution in the Cerebrum and Syrinx of Chinese Hwamei ( Garrulax canorus). Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12040569. [PMID: 33919806 PMCID: PMC8070764 DOI: 10.3390/genes12040569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
It is common that males and females display sexual dimorphisms, which usually result from sex-biased gene expression. Chinese hwamei (Garrulax canorus) is a good model for studying sex-biased gene expression because the song between the sexes is quite different. In this study, we analyze cerebrum and syrinx sex-biased gene expression and evolution using the de novo assembled Chinese hwamei transcriptome. In both the cerebrum and syrinx, our study revealed that most female-biased genes were actively expressed in females only, while most male-biased genes were actively expressed in both sexes. In addition, both male- and female-biased genes were enriched on the putative Z chromosome, suggesting the existence of sexually antagonistic genes and the insufficient dosage compensation of the Z-linked genes. We also identified a 9 Mb sex linkage region on the putative 4A chromosome which enriched more than 20% of female-biased genes. Resultantly, male-biased genes in both tissues had significantly higher Ka/Ks and effective number of codons (ENCs) than unbiased genes, and this suggested that male-biased genes which exhibit accelerated divergence may have resulted from positive selection. Taken together, our results initially revealed the reasons for the differences in singing behavior between males and females of Chinese hwamei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Jiang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (H.J.); (J.-Q.L.); (L.S.)
| | - Jian-Qing Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (H.J.); (J.-Q.L.); (L.S.)
| | - Li Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (H.J.); (J.-Q.L.); (L.S.)
| | - Yan-Chun Xu
- College of Wildlife and Protected Area, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China;
- National Forestry and Grassland Administration Research Center of Engineering Technology for Wildlife Conservation, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Sheng-Guo Fang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis & Protection, State Conservation Centre for Gene Resources of Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; (H.J.); (J.-Q.L.); (L.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-571-88206472
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18
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Sedlmeier EM, Meyer DM, Stecher L, Sailer M, Daniel H, Hauner H, Bader BL. Fetal sex modulates placental microRNA expression, potential microRNA-mRNA interactions, and levels of amino acid transporter expression and substrates: INFAT study subpopulation analysis of n-3 LCPUFA intervention during pregnancy and associations with offspring body composition. BMC Mol Cell Biol 2021; 22:15. [PMID: 33657992 PMCID: PMC7931339 DOI: 10.1186/s12860-021-00345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previously, we revealed sexually dimorphic mRNA expression and responsiveness to maternal dietary supplementation with n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) in placentas from a defined INFAT study subpopulation. Here, we extended these analyses and explored the respective placental microRNA expression, putative microRNA-mRNA interactions, and downstream target processes as well as their associations with INFAT offspring body composition. Results We performed explorative placental microRNA profiling, predicted microRNA-mRNA interactions by bioinformatics, validated placental target microRNAs and their putative targets by RT-qPCR and western blotting, and measured amino acid levels in maternal and offspring cord blood plasma and placenta. microRNA, mRNA, protein, and amino acid levels were associated with each other and with offspring body composition from birth to 5 years of age. Forty-six differentially regulated microRNAs were found. Validations identified differential expression for microRNA-99a (miR-99a) and its predicted target genes mTOR, SLC7A5, encoding L-type amino acid transporter 1 (LAT1), and SLC6A6, encoding taurine transporter (TauT), and their prevailing significant sexually dimorphic regulation. Target mRNA levels were mostly higher in placentas from control male than from female offspring, whereas respective n-3 LCPUFA responsive target upregulation was predominantly found in female placentas, explaining the rather balanced expression levels between the sexes present only in the intervention group. LAT1 and TauT substrates tryptophan and taurine, respectively, were significantly altered in both maternal plasma at 32 weeks’ gestation and cord plasma following intervention, but not in the placenta. Several significant associations were observed for miR-99a, mTOR mRNA, SLC7A5 mRNA, and taurine and tryptophan in maternal and cord plasma with offspring body composition at birth, 1 year, 3 and 5 years of age. Conclusions Our data suggest that the analyzed targets may be part of a sexually dimorphic molecular regulatory network in the placenta, possibly modulating gene expression per se and/or counteracting n-3 LCPUFA responsive changes, and thereby stabilizing respective placental and fetal amino acid levels. Our data propose placental miR-99, SLC7A5 mRNA, and taurine and tryptophan levels in maternal and fetal plasma as potentially predictive biomarkers for offspring body composition. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12860-021-00345-x.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Maria Sedlmeier
- ZIEL-PhD Graduate School 'Epigenetics, Imprinting and Nutrition', ZIEL-Institute for Food and Health, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Dorothy M Meyer
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 62, 80992, Munich, Germany
| | - Lynne Stecher
- Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 62, 80992, Munich, Germany
| | - Manuela Sailer
- Molecular Nutrition Unit, ZIEL-Institute for Food and Health, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Hannelore Daniel
- Molecular Nutrition Unit, ZIEL-Institute for Food and Health, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Hans Hauner
- Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.,Institute of Nutritional Medicine, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Georg-Brauchle-Ring 62, 80992, Munich, Germany.,Clinical Nutritional Medicine Unit, ZIEL-Institute for Food and Health, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Bernhard L Bader
- ZIEL-PhD Graduate School 'Epigenetics, Imprinting and Nutrition', ZIEL-Institute for Food and Health, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Else Kröner-Fresenius-Center for Nutritional Medicine, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany. .,Clinical Nutritional Medicine Unit, ZIEL-Institute for Food and Health, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Gregor-Mendel-Straße 2, 85354, Freising, Germany.
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19
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Colgan TJ, Moran PA, Archer LC, Wynne R, Hutton SA, McGinnity P, Reed TE. Evolution and Expression of the Immune System of a Facultatively Anadromous Salmonid. Front Immunol 2021; 12:568729. [PMID: 33717060 PMCID: PMC7952528 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.568729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrates have evolved a complex immune system required for the identification of and coordinated response to harmful pathogens. Migratory species spend periods of their life-cycle in more than one environment, and their immune system consequently faces a greater diversity of pathogens residing in different environments. In facultatively anadromous salmonids, individuals may spend parts of their life-cycle in freshwater and marine environments. For species such as the brown trout Salmo trutta, sexes differ in their life-histories with females more likely to migrate to sea while males are more likely to stay and complete their life-cycle in their natal river. Salmonids have also undergone a lineage-specific whole genome duplication event, which may provide novel immune innovations but our current understanding of the differences in salmonid immune expression between the sexes is limited. We characterized the brown trout immune gene repertoire, identifying a number of canonical immune genes in non-salmonid teleosts to be duplicated in S. trutta, with genes involved in innate and adaptive immunity. Through genome-wide transcriptional profiling (“RNA-seq”) of male and female livers to investigate sex differences in gene expression amplitude and alternative splicing, we identified immune genes as being generally male-biased in expression. Our study provides important insights into the evolutionary consequences of whole genome duplication events on the salmonid immune gene repertoire and how the sexes differ in constitutive immune expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Colgan
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Peter A Moran
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Louise C Archer
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Robert Wynne
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Stephen A Hutton
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Philip McGinnity
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Marine Institute, Newport, Ireland
| | - Thomas E Reed
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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20
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Galouzis CC, Prud'homme B. Transvection regulates the sex-biased expression of a fly X-linked gene. Science 2021; 371:396-400. [PMID: 33479152 DOI: 10.1126/science.abc2745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in animals results from sex-biased gene expression patterns. These patterns are controlled by genetic sex determination hierarchies that establish the sex of an individual. Here we show that the male-biased wing expression pattern of the Drosophila biarmipes gene yellow, located on the X chromosome, is independent of the fly sex determination hierarchy. Instead, we find that a regulatory interaction between yellow alleles on homologous chromosomes (a process known as transvection) silences the activity of a yellow enhancer functioning in the wing. Therefore, this enhancer can be active in males (XY) but not in females (XX). This transvection-dependent enhancer silencing requires the yellow intron and the chromatin architecture protein Mod(mdg4). Our results suggest that transvection can contribute more generally to the sex-biased expression of X-linked genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charalampos Chrysovalantis Galouzis
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille (IBDM), Campus de Luminy Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France
| | - Benjamin Prud'homme
- Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie du Développement de Marseille (IBDM), Campus de Luminy Case 907, 13288 Marseille Cedex 9, France.
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21
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Chen XI, Mei Y, Chen M, Jing D, He Y, Liu F, He K, Li F. InSexBase: an annotated genomic resource of sex chromosomes and sex-biased genes in insects. DATABASE-THE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL DATABASES AND CURATION 2021; 2021:6122465. [PMID: 33507270 PMCID: PMC7904046 DOI: 10.1093/database/baab001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Sex determination and the regulation of sexual dimorphism are among the most fascinating topics in modern biology. As the most species-rich group of sexually reproducing organisms on Earth, insects have multiple sex determination systems. Though sex chromosomes and sex-biased genes are well-studied in dozens of insects, their gene sequences are scattered in various databases. Moreover, a shortage of annotation hinders the deep mining of these data. Here, we collected the chromosome-level sex chromosome data of 49 insect species, including 34 X chromosomes, 15 Z chromosomes, 5 W chromosomes and 2 Y chromosomes. We also obtained Y-linked contigs of four insects species—Anopheles gambiae, Drosophila innubila, Drosophila yakuba and Tribolium castaneum. The unannotated chromosome-level sex chromosomes were annotated using a standard pipeline, yielding a total of 123 030 protein-coding genes, 2 159 427 repeat sequences, 894 miRNAs, 1574 rRNAs, 5105 tRNAs, 395 snoRNAs (small nucleolar RNA), 54 snRNAs (small nuclear RNA) and 5959 other ncRNAs (non-coding RNA). In addition, 36 781 sex-biased genes were identified by analyzing 62 RNA-seq (RNA sequencing) datasets. Together with 5707 sex-biased genes from the Drosophila genus collected from the Sex-Associated Gene Database, we obtained a total of 42 488 sex-biased genes from 13 insect species. All these data were deposited into InSexBase, a new user-friendly database of insect sex chromosomes and sex-biased genes. Database URL:http://www.insect-genome.com/Sexdb/.
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Affiliation(s)
- X I Chen
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
| | - Yang Mei
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
| | - Mengyao Chen
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
| | - Dong Jing
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
| | - Yumin He
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
| | - Feiling Liu
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
| | - Kang He
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
| | - Fei Li
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects & Key Laboratory of Biology of Crop Pathogens and Insects of Zhejiang Province, Institute of Insect Sciences, Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Rd 866, Xihu District, Hanzghou, 310058, China
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22
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Kostmann A, Kratochvíl L, Rovatsos M. Poorly differentiated XX/XY sex chromosomes are widely shared across skink radiation. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202139. [PMID: 33468012 PMCID: PMC7893288 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Differentiated sex chromosomes are believed to be evolutionarily stable, while poorly differentiated sex chromosomes are considered to be prone to turnovers. With around 1700 currently known species forming ca 15% of reptile species diversity, skinks (family Scincidae) are a very diverse group of squamates known for their large ecological and morphological variability. Skinks generally have poorly differentiated and cytogenetically indistinguishable sex chromosomes, and their sex determination was suggested to be highly variable. Here, we determined X-linked genes in the common sandfish (Scincus scincus) and demonstrate that skinks have shared the same homologous XX/XY sex chromosomes across their wide phylogenetic spectrum for at least 85 million years, approaching the age of the highly differentiated ZZ/ZW sex chromosomes of birds and advanced snakes. Skinks thus demonstrate that even poorly differentiated sex chromosomes can be evolutionarily stable. The conservation of sex chromosomes across skinks allows us to introduce the first molecular sexing method widely applicable in this group.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michail Rovatsos
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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23
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Melia T, Waxman DJ. Genetic factors contributing to extensive variability of sex-specific hepatic gene expression in Diversity Outbred mice. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242665. [PMID: 33264334 PMCID: PMC7710091 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-specific transcription characterizes hundreds of genes in mouse liver, many implicated in sex-differential drug and lipid metabolism and disease susceptibility. While the regulation of liver sex differences by growth hormone-activated STAT5 is well established, little is known about autosomal genetic factors regulating the sex-specific liver transcriptome. Here we show, using genotyping and expression data from a large population of Diversity Outbred mice, that genetic factors work in tandem with growth hormone to control the individual variability of hundreds of sex-biased genes, including many long non-coding RNA genes. Significant associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms and sex-specific gene expression were identified as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), many of which showed strong sex-dependent associations. Remarkably, autosomal genetic modifiers of sex-specific genes were found to account for more than 200 instances of gain or loss of sex-specificity across eight Diversity Outbred mouse founder strains. Sex-biased STAT5 binding sites and open chromatin regions with strain-specific variants were significantly enriched at eQTL regions regulating correspondingly sex-specific genes, supporting the proposed functional regulatory nature of the eQTL regions identified. Binding of the male-biased, growth hormone-regulated repressor BCL6 was most highly enriched at trans-eQTL regions controlling female-specific genes. Co-regulated gene clusters defined by overlapping eQTLs included sets of highly correlated genes from different chromosomes, further supporting trans-eQTL action. These findings elucidate how an unexpectedly large number of autosomal factors work in tandem with growth hormone signaling pathways to regulate the individual variability associated with sex differences in liver metabolism and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tisha Melia
- Department of Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - David J. Waxman
- Department of Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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24
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Lu T, Mar JC. Investigating transcriptome-wide sex dimorphism by multi-level analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data in ten mouse cell types. Biol Sex Differ 2020; 11:61. [PMID: 33153500 PMCID: PMC7643324 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-020-00335-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is a long established fact that sex is an important factor that influences the transcriptional regulatory processes of an organism. However, understanding sex-based differences in gene expression has been limited because existing studies typically sequence and analyze bulk tissue from female or male individuals. Such analyses average cell-specific gene expression levels where cell-to-cell variation can easily be concealed. We therefore sought to utilize data generated by the rapidly developing single cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology to explore sex dimorphism and its functional consequences at the single cell level. METHODS Our study included scRNA-seq data of ten well-defined cell types from the brain and heart of female and male young adult mice in the publicly available tissue atlas dataset, Tabula Muris. We combined standard differential expression analysis with the identification of differential distributions in single cell transcriptomes to test for sex-based gene expression differences in each cell type. The marker genes that had sex-specific inter-cellular changes in gene expression formed the basis for further characterization of the cellular functions that were differentially regulated between the female and male cells. We also inferred activities of transcription factor-driven gene regulatory networks by leveraging knowledge of multidimensional protein-to-genome and protein-to-protein interactions and analyzed pathways that were potential modulators of sex differentiation and dimorphism. RESULTS For each cell type in this study, we identified marker genes with significantly different mean expression levels or inter-cellular distribution characteristics between female and male cells. These marker genes were enriched in pathways that were closely related to the biological functions of each cell type. We also identified sub-cell types that possibly carry out distinct biological functions that displayed discrepancies between female and male cells. Additionally, we found that while genes under differential transcriptional regulation exhibited strong cell type specificity, six core transcription factor families responsible for most sex-dimorphic transcriptional regulation activities were conserved across the cell types, including ASCL2, EGR, GABPA, KLF/SP, RXRα, and ZF. CONCLUSIONS We explored novel gene expression-based biomarkers, functional cell group compositions, and transcriptional regulatory networks associated with sex dimorphism with a novel computational pipeline. Our findings indicated that sex dimorphism might be widespread across the transcriptomes of cell types, cell type-specific, and impactful for regulating cellular activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyuan Lu
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.,Quantitative Life Sciences Program, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G4, Canada
| | - Jessica C Mar
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
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25
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Garratt M. Why do sexes differ in lifespan extension? Sex-specific pathways of aging and underlying mechanisms for dimorphic responses. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.3233/nha-190067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Males and females typically have different lifespans and frequently differ in their responses to anti-aging interventions. These sex-specific responses are documented in mice and Drosophila species, in addition to other organisms where interventions have been tested. While the prevalence of sex-specific responses to anti-aging interventions is now recognised, the underlying causes remain poorly understood. This review first summarises the main pathways and interventions that lead to sex-specific lifespan responses, including the growth-hormone/insulin-like growth factor 1 (GH-IGF1) axis, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signalling, and nutritional and pharmacological interventions. After summarising current evidence, several different potential causes for sex-specific responses are discussed. These include sex-differences in xenobiotic metabolism, differing disease susceptibility, sex-specific hormone production and chromosomes, and the relative importance of different signalling pathways in the control of male and female life-history. Understanding why sex-differences in lifespan-extension occur should provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms that regulate the aging process in each sex, and will be crucial for understanding the full implications of these treatments if they are translated to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Garratt
- Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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26
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Cruz-Garcia L, O’Brien G, Sipos B, Mayes S, Tichý A, Sirák I, Davídková M, Marková M, Turner DJ, Badie C. In Vivo Validation of Alternative FDXR Transcripts in Human Blood in Response to Ionizing Radiation. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21217851. [PMID: 33113898 PMCID: PMC7660203 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Following cell stress such as ionising radiation (IR) exposure, multiple cellular pathways are activated. We recently demonstrated that ferredoxin reductase (FDXR) has a remarkable IR-induced transcriptional responsiveness in blood. Here, we provided a first comprehensive FDXR variant profile following DNA damage. First, specific quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) primers were designed to establish dose-responses for eight curated FDXR variants, all up-regulated after IR in a dose-dependent manner. The potential role of gender on the expression of these variants was tested, and neither the variants response to IR nor the background level of expression was profoundly affected; moreover, in vitro induction of inflammation temporarily counteracted IR response early after exposure. Importantly, transcriptional up-regulation of these variants was further confirmed in vivo in blood of radiotherapy patients. Full-length nanopore sequencing was performed to identify other FDXR variants and revealed the high responsiveness of FDXR-201 and FDXR-208. Moreover, FDXR-218 and FDXR-219 showed no detectable endogenous expression, but a clear detection after IR. Overall, we characterised 14 FDXR transcript variants and identified for the first time their response to DNA damage in vivo. Future studies are required to unravel the function of these splicing variants, but they already represent a new class of radiation exposure biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lourdes Cruz-Garcia
- Cancer Mechanisms and Biomarkers Group, Radiation Effects Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical & Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ, UK; (L.C.-G.); (G.O.)
| | - Grainne O’Brien
- Cancer Mechanisms and Biomarkers Group, Radiation Effects Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical & Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ, UK; (L.C.-G.); (G.O.)
| | - Botond Sipos
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Gosling Building, Edmund Halley Way, Oxford OX4 4DQ, UK; (B.S.); (S.M.); (D.J.T.)
| | - Simon Mayes
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Gosling Building, Edmund Halley Way, Oxford OX4 4DQ, UK; (B.S.); (S.M.); (D.J.T.)
| | - Aleš Tichý
- Department of Radiobiology, Faculty of Military Health Sciences in Hradec Králové, University of Defence in Brno, 500 01 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic;
- Biomedical Research Centre, Hradec Králové University Hospital, 500 01 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic
| | - Igor Sirák
- Department of Oncology and Radiotherapy and 4th Department of Internal Medicine—Hematology, University Hospital, 500 05 Hradec Králové, Czech Republic;
| | - Marie Davídková
- Department of Radiation Dosimetry, Nuclear Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 180 00 Prague 8, Czech Republic;
| | - Markéta Marková
- Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, 128 00 Praha 2, Czech Republic;
| | - Daniel J. Turner
- Oxford Nanopore Technologies, Gosling Building, Edmund Halley Way, Oxford OX4 4DQ, UK; (B.S.); (S.M.); (D.J.T.)
| | - Christophe Badie
- Cancer Mechanisms and Biomarkers Group, Radiation Effects Department, Centre for Radiation, Chemical & Environmental Hazards, Public Health England, Chilton, Oxfordshire OX11 0RQ, UK; (L.C.-G.); (G.O.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-(0)1235-825-088; Fax: +44-(0)1235-833-891
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27
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Sin SYW, Lu L, Edwards SV. De Novo Assembly of the Northern Cardinal ( Cardinalis cardinalis) Genome Reveals Candidate Regulatory Regions for Sexually Dichromatic Red Plumage Coloration. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2020; 10:3541-3548. [PMID: 32792344 PMCID: PMC7534441 DOI: 10.1534/g3.120.401373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Northern cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) are common, mid-sized passerines widely distributed in North America. As an iconic species with strong sexual dichromatism, it has been the focus of extensive ecological and evolutionary research, yet genomic studies investigating the evolution of genotype-phenotype association of plumage coloration and dichromatism are lacking. Here we present a new, highly-contiguous assembly for C. cardinalis We generated a 1.1 Gb assembly comprised of 4,762 scaffolds, with a scaffold N50 of 3.6 Mb, a contig N50 of 114.4 kb and a longest scaffold of 19.7 Mb. We identified 93.5% complete and single-copy orthologs from an Aves dataset using BUSCO, demonstrating high completeness of the genome assembly. We annotated the genomic region comprising the CYP2J19 gene, which plays a pivotal role in the red coloration in birds. Comparative analyses demonstrated non-exonic regions unique to the CYP2J19 gene in passerines and a long insertion upstream of the gene in C. cardinalis Transcription factor binding motifs discovered in the unique insertion region in C. cardinalis suggest potential androgen-regulated mechanisms underlying sexual dichromatism. Pairwise Sequential Markovian Coalescent (PSMC) analysis of the genome reveals fluctuations in historic effective population size between 100,000-250,000 in the last 2 millions years, with declines concordant with the beginning of the Pleistocene epoch and Last Glacial Period. This draft genome of C. cardinalis provides an important resource for future studies of ecological, evolutionary, and functional genomics in cardinals and other birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Yung Wa Sin
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam Road, Hong Kong
| | - Lily Lu
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - Scott V Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
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28
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Oliva M, Muñoz-Aguirre M, Kim-Hellmuth S, Wucher V, Gewirtz ADH, Cotter DJ, Parsana P, Kasela S, Balliu B, Viñuela A, Castel SE, Mohammadi P, Aguet F, Zou Y, Khramtsova EA, Skol AD, Garrido-Martín D, Reverter F, Brown A, Evans P, Gamazon ER, Payne A, Bonazzola R, Barbeira AN, Hamel AR, Martinez-Perez A, Soria JM, Pierce BL, Stephens M, Eskin E, Dermitzakis ET, Segrè AV, Im HK, Engelhardt BE, Ardlie KG, Montgomery SB, Battle AJ, Lappalainen T, Guigó R, Stranger BE. The impact of sex on gene expression across human tissues. Science 2020; 369:eaba3066. [PMID: 32913072 PMCID: PMC8136152 DOI: 10.1126/science.aba3066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 303] [Impact Index Per Article: 75.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Many complex human phenotypes exhibit sex-differentiated characteristics. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences remain largely unknown. We generated a catalog of sex differences in gene expression and in the genetic regulation of gene expression across 44 human tissue sources surveyed by the Genotype-Tissue Expression project (GTEx, v8 release). We demonstrate that sex influences gene expression levels and cellular composition of tissue samples across the human body. A total of 37% of all genes exhibit sex-biased expression in at least one tissue. We identify cis expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) with sex-differentiated effects and characterize their cellular origin. By integrating sex-biased eQTLs with genome-wide association study data, we identify 58 gene-trait associations that are driven by genetic regulation of gene expression in a single sex. These findings provide an extensive characterization of sex differences in the human transcriptome and its genetic regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meritxell Oliva
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Manuel Muñoz-Aguirre
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Department of Statistics and Operations Research, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Sarah Kim-Hellmuth
- Statistical Genetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Valentin Wucher
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ariel D H Gewirtz
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Daniel J Cotter
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Princy Parsana
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Silva Kasela
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brunilda Balliu
- Department of Computational Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ana Viñuela
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephane E Castel
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Pejman Mohammadi
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, Scripps Research Translational Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Yuxin Zou
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ekaterina A Khramtsova
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Computational Sciences, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Spring House, PA, USA
| | - Andrew D Skol
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Data Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Diego Garrido-Martín
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ferran Reverter
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Patrick Evans
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eric R Gamazon
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
- Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anthony Payne
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Rodrigo Bonazzola
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Alvaro N Barbeira
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Andrew R Hamel
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Angel Martinez-Perez
- Genomics of Complex Diseases Group, Research Institute Hospital de la Sant Creu i Sant Pau, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Manuel Soria
- Genomics of Complex Diseases Group, Research Institute Hospital de la Sant Creu i Sant Pau, IIB Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Brandon L Pierce
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Matthew Stephens
- Department of Statistics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Eleazar Eskin
- Departments of Computational Medicine, Computer Science, and Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emmanouil T Dermitzakis
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ayellet V Segrè
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hae Kyung Im
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Barbara E Engelhardt
- Department of Computer Science, Center for Statistics and Machine Learning, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Genomics plc, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Stephen B Montgomery
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Alexis J Battle
- Department of Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tuuli Lappalainen
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Roderic Guigó
- Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Barbara E Stranger
- Section of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Genomics and Systems Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Translational Data Science, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Genetic Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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29
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Chen Y, Agellon LB. Distinct Alteration of Gene Expression Programs in the Small Intestine of Male and Female Mice in Response to Ablation of Intestinal Fabp Genes. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11080943. [PMID: 32824144 PMCID: PMC7465894 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Fatty acid-binding proteins (Fabps) make up a family of widely distributed cytoplasmic lipid-binding proteins. The small intestine contains three predominant Fabp species, Fabp1, Fabp2, and Fabp6. Our previous studies showed that Fabp2 and Fabp6 gene-disrupted mice exhibited sexually dimorphic phenotypes. In this study, we carried out a systematic comparative analysis of the small intestinal transcriptomes of 10 week-old wild-type (WT) and Fabp gene-disrupted male and female mice. We found that the small intestinal transcriptome of male and female mice showed key differences in the gene expression profiles that affect major biological processes. The deletion of specific Fabp genes induced unique and sex-specific changes in the gene expression program, although some differentially expressed genes in certain genotypes were common to both sexes. Functional annotation and interaction network analyses revealed that the number and type of affected pathways, as well as the sets of interacting nodes in each of the Fabp genotypes, are partitioned by sex. To our knowledge, this is the first time that sex differences were identified and categorized at the transcriptome level in mice lacking different intestinal Fabps. The distinctive transcriptome profiles of WT male and female small intestine may predetermine the nature of transcriptional reprogramming that manifests as sexually dimorphic responses to the ablation of intestinal Fabp genes.
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30
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Sex-Specific Transcriptome Differences in Human Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cells. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11080909. [PMID: 32784482 PMCID: PMC7464371 DOI: 10.3390/genes11080909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, sexual dimorphism can manifest in many ways and it is widely studied in several knowledge fields. It is increasing the evidence that also cells differ according to sex, a correlation still little studied and poorly considered when cells are used in scientific research. Specifically, our interest is on the sex-related dimorphism on the human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) transcriptome. A systematic meta-analysis of hMSC microarrays was performed by using the Transcriptome Mapper (TRAM) software. This bioinformatic tool was used to integrate and normalize datasets from multiple sources and allowed us to highlight chromosomal segments and genes differently expressed in hMSCs derived from adipose tissue (hADSCs) of male and female donors. Chromosomal segments and differentially expressed genes in male and female hADSCs resulted to be related to several processes as inflammation, adipogenic and neurogenic differentiation and cell communication. Obtained results lead us to hypothesize that the donor sex of hADSCs is a variable influencing a wide range of stem cell biologic processes. We believe that it should be considered in biologic research and stem cell therapy.
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31
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Liu PC, Hao DJ, Hu HY, Wei JR. Sexual dimorphism and sex-biased gene expression in an egg parasitoid species, Anastatus disparis. BMC Genomics 2020; 21:492. [PMID: 32682391 PMCID: PMC7368684 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-06903-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Differences in the expression of genes present in both sexes are assumed to contribute to sex differences including behavioural, physiological and morphological dimorphisms. For enriching our knowledge of gender differences in an important egg parasitoid wasp, Anastatus disparis (Hymenoptera: Eupelmidae), sex-biased differences in gene expression were investigated using Illumina-based transcriptomic analysis. Results A total of 15,812 resulting unigenes were annotated, and a large set of genes accounting for 50.09% of the total showed sex-biased expression and included 630 sex-specific genes. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses showed that the functional categories associated with sex-biased genes were mainly related to reproduction. In addition, the transcriptome data provided evidence that sex pheromones in A. disparis are produced by the female, and activity of Δ12-desaturases appear to have been replaced by Δ9-desaturases playing roles in sex pheromone production. The large set of sex-biased genes identified in this study provide a molecular background for sexually dimorphic traits such as flyability, longevity, and aggression in this species and suggests candidate venom proteins expressed only in females that could be used for biological control. Conclusions This study provides comprehensive insight into sexually dimorphic traits of a parasitoid wasp and can inform future research into the molecular mechanisms underlying such traits and the application of parasitoids to the biological control of pest species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Cheng Liu
- The College of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China.
| | - De-Jun Hao
- The College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hao-Yuan Hu
- The College of Ecology and Environment, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, Anhui Province, China
| | - Jian-Rong Wei
- The College of Life Science, Hebei University, Baoding, Hebei Province, China
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32
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Çubuk C, Can FE, Peña-Chilet M, Dopazo J. Mechanistic Models of Signaling Pathways Reveal the Drug Action Mechanisms behind Gender-Specific Gene Expression for Cancer Treatments. Cells 2020; 9:E1579. [PMID: 32610626 PMCID: PMC7408716 DOI: 10.3390/cells9071579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the existence of differences in gene expression across numerous genes between males and females having been known for a long time, these have been mostly ignored in many studies, including drug development and its therapeutic use. In fact, the consequences of such differences over the disease mechanisms or the drug action mechanisms are completely unknown. Here we applied mechanistic mathematical models of signaling activity to reveal the ultimate functional consequences that gender-specific gene expression activities have over cell functionality and fate. Moreover, we also used the mechanistic modeling framework to simulate the drug interventions and unravel how drug action mechanisms are affected by gender-specific differential gene expression. Interestingly, some cancers have many biological processes significantly affected by these gender-specific differences (e.g., bladder or head and neck carcinomas), while others (e.g., glioblastoma or rectum cancer) are almost insensitive to them. We found that many of these gender-specific differences affect cancer-specific pathways or in physiological signaling pathways, also involved in cancer origin and development. Finally, mechanistic models have the potential to be used for finding alternative therapeutic interventions on the pathways targeted by the drug, which lead to similar results compensating the downstream consequences of gender-specific differences in gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cankut Çubuk
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area, Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS), CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; (C.Ç.); (F.E.C.); (M.P.-C.)
- Division of Genetics and Epidemiology, Institute of Cancer Research, London SW7 3RP, UK
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary University, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Fatma E. Can
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area, Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS), CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; (C.Ç.); (F.E.C.); (M.P.-C.)
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Izmir Katip Celebi University, 35620 Balatçık, Turkey
| | - María Peña-Chilet
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area, Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS), CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; (C.Ç.); (F.E.C.); (M.P.-C.)
- Bioinformatics in Rare Diseases (BiER), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), FPS, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- Computational Systems Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Joaquín Dopazo
- Clinical Bioinformatics Area, Fundación Progreso y Salud (FPS), CDCA, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain; (C.Ç.); (F.E.C.); (M.P.-C.)
- Bioinformatics in Rare Diseases (BiER), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), FPS, Hospital Virgen del Rocio, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- Computational Systems Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBIS), 41013 Sevilla, Spain
- FPS-ELIXIR-ES, Hospital Virgen del Rocío, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
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33
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Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Bowman HC, Padgaonkar NT, Fuster E, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity of the Salience, Default Mode, and Central Executive Networks in Youth with ASD. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5107-5120. [PMID: 32350530 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with the altered functional connectivity of 3 neurocognitive networks that are hypothesized to be central to the symptomatology of ASD: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and central executive network (CEN). Due to the considerably higher prevalence of ASD in males, however, previous studies examining these networks in ASD have used primarily male samples. It is thus unknown how these networks may be differentially impacted among females with ASD compared to males with ASD, and how such differences may compare to those observed in neurotypical individuals. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the SN, DMN, and CEN in a large, well-matched sample of girls and boys with and without ASD (169 youth, ages 8-17). Girls with ASD displayed greater functional connectivity between the DMN and CEN than boys with ASD, whereas typically developing girls and boys differed in SN functional connectivity only. Together, these results demonstrate that youth with ASD exhibit altered sex differences in these networks relative to what is observed in typical development, and highlight the importance of considering sex-related biological factors and participant sex when characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hilary C Bowman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.,Dept. of Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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34
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Tower J, Pomatto LCD, Davies KJA. Sex differences in the response to oxidative and proteolytic stress. Redox Biol 2020; 31:101488. [PMID: 32201219 PMCID: PMC7212483 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in diseases involving oxidative and proteolytic stress are common, including greater ischemic heart disease, Parkinson disease and stroke in men, and greater Alzheimer disease in women. Sex differences are also observed in stress response of cells and tissues, where female cells are generally more resistant to heat and oxidative stress-induced cell death. Studies implicate beneficial effects of estrogen, as well as cell-autonomous effects including superior mitochondrial function and increased expression of stress response genes in female cells relative to male cells. The p53 and forkhead box (FOX)-family genes, heat shock proteins (HSPs), and the apoptosis and autophagy pathways appear particularly important in mediating sex differences in stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Tower
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089, USA.
| | - Laura C D Pomatto
- National Institute on General Medical Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kelvin J A Davies
- Molecular and Computational Biology Program, Department of Biological Sciences, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089, USA; Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, USA
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35
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Sex differences in adult lifespan and aging rates of mortality across wild mammals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:8546-8553. [PMID: 32205429 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1911999117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In human populations, women consistently outlive men, which suggests profound biological foundations for sex differences in survival. Quantifying whether such sex differences are also pervasive in wild mammals is a crucial challenge in both evolutionary biology and biogerontology. Here, we compile demographic data from 134 mammal populations, encompassing 101 species, to show that the female's median lifespan is on average 18.6% longer than that of conspecific males, whereas in humans the female advantage is on average 7.8%. On the contrary, we do not find any consistent sex differences in aging rates. In addition, sex differences in median adult lifespan and aging rates are both highly variable across species. Our analyses suggest that the magnitude of sex differences in mammalian mortality patterns is likely shaped by local environmental conditions in interaction with the sex-specific costs of sexual selection.
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36
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Kassam I, Wu Y, Yang J, Visscher PM, McRae AF. Tissue-specific sex differences in human gene expression. Hum Mol Genet 2020; 28:2976-2986. [PMID: 31044242 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddz090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 04/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive sex differences in human complex traits and disease, the male and female genomes differ only in the sex chromosomes. This implies that most sex-differentiated traits are the result of differences in the expression of genes that are common to both sexes. While sex differences in gene expression have been observed in a range of different tissues, the biological mechanisms for tissue-specific sex differences (TSSDs) in gene expression are not well understood. A total of 30 640 autosomal and 1021 X-linked transcripts were tested for heterogeneity in sex difference effect sizes in n = 617 individuals across 40 tissue types in Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx). This identified 65 autosomal and 66 X-linked TSSD transcripts (corresponding to unique genes) at a stringent significance threshold. Results for X-linked TSSD transcripts showed mainly concordant direction of sex differences across tissues and replicate previous findings. Autosomal TSSD transcripts had mainly discordant direction of sex differences across tissues. The top cis-expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) across tissues for autosomal TSSD transcripts are located a similar distance away from the nearest androgen and estrogen binding motifs and the nearest enhancer, as compared to cis-eQTLs for transcripts with stable sex differences in gene expression across tissue types. Enhancer regions that overlap top cis-eQTLs for TSSD transcripts, however, were found to be more dispersed across tissues. These observations suggest that androgen and estrogen regulatory elements in a cis region may play a common role in sex differences in gene expression, but TSSD in gene expression may additionally be due to causal variants located in tissue-specific enhancer regions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yang Wu
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience
| | - Jian Yang
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Peter M Visscher
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Allan F McRae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience.,Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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37
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Valodara AM, SR KJ. Sexual Dimorphism in Drug Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics. Curr Drug Metab 2020; 20:1154-1166. [DOI: 10.2174/1389200220666191021094906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Background:Sex and gender-based differences are observed well beyond the sex organs and affect several physiological and biochemical processes involved in the metabolism of drug molecules. It is essential to understand not only the sex and gender-based differences in the metabolism of the drug but also the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of drug metabolism for avoiding sex-related adverse effects of drugs in the human.Method:The articles on the sex and gender-based differences in the metabolism of drug molecules were retrieved from the Pub Med database. The articles were classified into the metabolism of the drug molecule, gene expression regulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes, the effect of sex hormones on the metabolism of drug, expression of drugmetabolizing enzymes, etc.Result:Several drug molecules are known, which are metabolized differently in males and females. These differences in metabolism may be due to the genomic and non-genomic action of sex hormones. Several other drug molecules still require further evaluation at the molecular level regarding the sex and gender-based differences in their metabolism. Attention is also required at the effect of signaling cascades associated with the metabolism of drug molecules.Conclusion:Sex and gender-based differences in the metabolism of drugs exist at various levels and it may be due to the genomic and non-genomic action of sex hormones. Detailed understanding of the effect of sex and related condition on the metabolism of drug molecules will help clinicians to determine the effective therapeutic doses of drugs dependingon the condition of patient and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Askhi M. Valodara
- Department of Zoology, Biomedical Technology and Human Genetics, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
| | - Kaid Johar SR
- Department of Zoology, Biomedical Technology and Human Genetics, School of Sciences, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, India
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38
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Burgess STG, Marr EJ, Bartley K, Nunn FG, Down RE, Weaver RJ, Prickett JC, Dunn J, Rombauts S, Van Leeuwen T, Van de Peer Y, Nisbet AJ. A genomic analysis and transcriptomic atlas of gene expression in Psoroptes ovis reveals feeding- and stage-specific patterns of allergen expression. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:756. [PMID: 31640546 PMCID: PMC6806590 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6082-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Psoroptic mange, caused by infestation with the ectoparasitic mite, Psoroptes ovis, is highly contagious, resulting in intense pruritus and represents a major welfare and economic concern for the livestock industry Worldwide. Control relies on injectable endectocides and organophosphate dips, but concerns over residues, environmental contamination, and the development of resistance threaten the sustainability of this approach, highlighting interest in alternative control methods. However, development of vaccines and identification of chemotherapeutic targets is hampered by the lack of P. ovis transcriptomic and genomic resources. Results Building on the recent publication of the P. ovis draft genome, here we present a genomic analysis and transcriptomic atlas of gene expression in P. ovis revealing feeding- and stage-specific patterns of gene expression, including novel multigene families and allergens. Network-based clustering revealed 14 gene clusters demonstrating either single- or multi-stage specific gene expression patterns, with 3075 female-specific, 890 male-specific and 112, 217 and 526 transcripts showing larval, protonymph and tritonymph specific-expression, respectively. Detailed analysis of P. ovis allergens revealed stage-specific patterns of allergen gene expression, many of which were also enriched in “fed” mites and tritonymphs, highlighting an important feeding-related allergenicity in this developmental stage. Pair-wise analysis of differential expression between life-cycle stages identified patterns of sex-biased gene expression and also identified novel P. ovis multigene families including known allergens and novel genes with high levels of stage-specific expression. Conclusions The genomic and transcriptomic atlas described here represents a unique resource for the acarid-research community, whilst the OrcAE platform makes this freely available, facilitating further community-led curation of the draft P. ovis genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stewart T G Burgess
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK.
| | - Edward J Marr
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Kathryn Bartley
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | - Francesca G Nunn
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
| | | | | | | | - Jackie Dunn
- Fera Science Ltd, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - Stephane Rombauts
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Thomas Van Leeuwen
- Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure links 653, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yves Van de Peer
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,VIB Center for Plant Systems Biology, Technologiepark 927, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Bioinformatics Institute Ghent, Ghent University, 9052, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Private bag X20, Pretoria, 0028, South Africa
| | - Alasdair J Nisbet
- Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Edinburgh, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, UK
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Huang X, Li D, Zhao Q, Zhang C, Ren B, Yue L, Du B, Godfrey O, Wang X, Zhang W. Association between BHMT and CBS gene promoter methylation with the efficacy of folic acid therapy in patients with hyperhomocysteinemia. J Hum Genet 2019; 64:1227-1235. [PMID: 31558761 DOI: 10.1038/s10038-019-0672-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 09/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Both betaine homocysteine methyltransferase (BHMT) and cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) are major enzymes in the metabolism of plasma homocysteine (Hcy). Abnormal methylation levels of BHMT and CBS are positively associated with Hcy levels. The present study is performed to explore the association between the methylation levels in the promoter regions of the BHMT and CBS genes and the efficacy of folic acid therapy in patient with hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy). A prospective cohort study recruiting HHcy (Hcy ≥ 15 μmol/L) patients was performed. The subjects were treated with oral folic acid (5 mg/d) for 90 days, and the patients were divided into the success group (Hcy < 15 μmol/L) and the failure group (Hcy ≥ 15 μmol/L) according to their Hcy levels after treatment. In the logistic regression model with adjusted covariates, the patients with lower total methylation levels in the BHMT and CBS promoter regions exhibited 1.627-fold and 1.671-fold increased risk of treatment failure compared with higher methylation individuals, respectively. Similarly, subjects who had lower methylation levels (<methylation mean) in BHMT CpG1 had 1.792 times higher risks. Stratified analysis by sex found that lower CBS methylation levels were associated with a 2.128-fold increased risk for treatment failure in males with HHcy. Lower levels of BHMT or CBS promoter total methylation might be associated with increased the risk of treatment failure. These studies suggest that lower levels of BHMT and CBS methylation are all predictors of failure in folic acid therapy for HHcy. However, due to some limitations of this study, such as the small number of the loci tested, further large-scale studies are necessary to verify our observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowen Huang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Dankang Li
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Qinglin Zhao
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Chengda Zhang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA
| | - Bingnan Ren
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Limin Yue
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Binghui Du
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Opolot Godfrey
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Xiliang Wang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China
| | - Weidong Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, Henan, China.
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40
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ImmGen report: sexual dimorphism in the immune system transcriptome. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4295. [PMID: 31541153 PMCID: PMC6754408 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12348-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual dimorphism in the mammalian immune system is manifested as more frequent and severe infectious diseases in males and, on the other hand, higher rates of autoimmune disease in females, yet insights underlying those differences are still lacking. Here we characterize sex differences in the immune system by RNA and ATAC sequence profiling of untreated and interferon-induced immune cell types in male and female mice. We detect very few differentially expressed genes between male and female immune cells except in macrophages from three different tissues. Accordingly, very few genomic regions display differences in accessibility between sexes. Transcriptional sexual dimorphism in macrophages is mediated by genes of innate immune pathways, and increases after interferon stimulation. Thus, the stronger immune response of females may be due to more activated innate immune pathways prior to pathogen invasion. Sexual dimorphism is observed frequently in immune disorders, but the underlying insights are still unclear. Here the authors analyze transcriptome and epigenome changes induced by interferon in various mouse immune cell types, and find only a restricted set of sexual dimorphism genes in innate immunity and macrophages.
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Tahira AC, Barbosa AR, Feltrin AS, Gastaldi VD, de Toledo VHC, de Carvalho Pereira JG, Lisboa BCG, de Souza Reis VN, dos Santos ACF, Maschietto M, Brentani H. Putative contributions of the sex chromosome proteins SOX3 and SRY to neurodevelopmental disorders. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2019; 180:390-414. [PMID: 30537354 PMCID: PMC6767407 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The male-biased prevalence of certain neurodevelopmental disorders and the sex-biased outcomes associated with stress exposure during gestation have been previously described. Here, we hypothesized that genes distinctively targeted by only one or both homologous proteins highly conserved across therian mammals, SOX3 and SRY, could induce sexual adaptive changes that result in a differential risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. ChIP-seq/chip data showed that SOX3/SRY gene targets were expressed in different brain cell types in mice. We used orthologous human genes in rodent genomes to extend the number of SOX3/SRY set (1,721). These genes were later found to be enriched in five modules of coexpressed genes during the early and mid-gestation periods (FDR < 0.05), independent of sexual hormones. Genes with differential expression (24, p < 0.0001) and methylation (40, p < 0.047) between sexes were overrepresented in this set. Exclusive SOX3 or SRY target genes were more associated with the late gestational and postnatal periods. Using autism as a model sex-biased disorder, the SOX3/SRY set was enriched in autism gene databases (FDR ≤ 0.05), and there were more de novo variations from the male autism spectrum disorder (ASD) samples under the SRY peaks compared to the random peaks (p < 0.024). The comparison of coexpressed networks of SOX3/SRY target genes between male autism and control samples revealed low preservation in gene modules related to stress response (99 genes) and neurogenesis (78 genes). This study provides evidence that while SOX3 is a regulatory mechanism for both sexes, the male-exclusive SRY also plays a role in gene regulation, suggesting a potential mechanism for sex bias in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carolina Tahira
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - André Rocha Barbosa
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
- Inter‐institutional Grad Program on BioinformaticsUniversity of São PauloSão PauloSPBrazil
| | | | - Vinicius Daguano Gastaldi
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - Victor Hugo Calegari de Toledo
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | | | - Bianca Cristina Garcia Lisboa
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - Viviane Neri de Souza Reis
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
| | - Ana Cecília Feio dos Santos
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
- Laboratório de Pesquisas Básicas em Malária – EntomologiaSeção de Parasitologia – Instituto Evandro Chagas/SVS/MSAnanindeuaPABrazil
| | - Mariana Maschietto
- Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio)Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM)CampinasSPBrazil
| | - Helena Brentani
- LIM23, Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
- Inter‐institutional Grad Program on BioinformaticsUniversity of São PauloSão PauloSPBrazil
- Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao PauloSPBrazil
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry for Children and Adolescents (INPD)Sao PauloSPBrazil
- Faculdade de Medicina FMUSPUniversidade de Sao PauloSao PauloSPBrazil
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Differentially and Co-expressed Genes in Embryo, Germ-Line and Somatic Tissues of Tribolium castaneum. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:2363-2373. [PMID: 31113821 PMCID: PMC6643895 DOI: 10.1534/g3.119.400340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptomic studies of Tribolium castaneum have led to significant advances in our understanding of co-regulation and differential expression of genes in development. However, previously used microarray approaches have covered only a subset of known genes. The aim of this study was to investigate gene expression patterns of beetle embryo, germ-line and somatic tissues. We identified 12,302 expressed genes and determined differentially expressed up and down-regulated genes among all samples. For example, 1624 and 3639 genes were differentially increased in expression greater than or equal to twofold change (FDR < 0.01) in testis vs. ovary (virgin female) and ovary vs. embryo (0-5 hr), respectively. Of these, many developmental, somatic and germ-line differentially expressed genes were identified. Furthermore, many maternally deposited transcripts were identified, whose expression either decreased rapidly or persisted during embryogenesis. Genes with the largest change in expression were predominantly decreased during early embryogenesis as compared to ovary or were increased in testis compared to embryo. We also identify zygotic genes induced after fertilization. The genome wide variation in transcript regulation in maternal and zygotic genes could provide additional information on how the anterior posterior axis formation is established in Tribolium embryos as compared to Drosophila Together, our data will facilitate studies of comparative developmental biology as well as help identify candidate genes for identifying cis-elements to drive transgenic constructs.
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Cossard GG, Toups MA, Pannell JR. Sexual dimorphism and rapid turnover in gene expression in pre-reproductive seedlings of a dioecious herb. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2019; 123:1119-1131. [PMID: 30289430 PMCID: PMC6612945 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcy183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Sexual dimorphism in morphology, physiology or life history traits is common in dioecious plants at reproductive maturity, but it is typically inconspicuous or absent in juveniles. Although plants of different sexes probably begin to diverge in gene expression both before their reproduction commences and before dimorphism becomes readily apparent, to our knowledge transcriptome-wide differential gene expression has yet to be demonstrated for any angiosperm species. METHODS The present study documents differences in gene expression in both above- and below-ground tissues of early pre-reproductive individuals of the wind-pollinated dioecious annual herb, Mercurialis annua, which otherwise shows clear sexual dimorphism only at the adult stage. KEY RESULTS Whereas males and females differed in their gene expression at the first leaf stage, sex-biased gene expression peaked just prior to, and after, flowering, as might be expected if sexual dimorphism is partly a response to differential costs of reproduction. Sex-biased genes were over-represented among putative sex-linked genes in M. annua but showed no evidence for more rapid evolution than unbiased genes. CONCLUSIONS Sex-biased gene expression in M. annua occurs as early as the first whorl of leaves is produced, is highly dynamic during plant development and varies substantially between vegetative tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume G Cossard
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Melissa A Toups
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - John R Pannell
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore Building, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Melia T, Waxman DJ. Sex-Biased lncRNAs Inversely Correlate With Sex-Opposite Gene Coexpression Networks in Diversity Outbred Mouse Liver. Endocrinology 2019; 160:989-1007. [PMID: 30840070 PMCID: PMC6449536 DOI: 10.1210/en.2018-00949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in liver gene expression are determined by pituitary growth hormone secretion patterns, which regulate sex-dependent liver transcription factors and establish sex-specific chromatin states. Hypophysectomy (hypox) identifies two major classes of liver sex-biased genes, defined by their sex-dependent positive or negative responses to pituitary hormone ablation. However, the mechanisms that underlie each hypox-response class are unknown. We sought to discover candidate, regulatory, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) controlling responsiveness to hypox. We characterized gene structures and expression patterns for 15,558 mouse liver-expressed lncRNAs, including many sex-specific lncRNAs regulated during postnatal development or subject to circadian regulation. Using the high natural allelic variance of Diversity Outbred (DO) mice, we discovered tightly coexpressed clusters of sex-specific protein-coding genes (gene modules) in male and female DO liver. Remarkably, many gene modules were strongly enriched for sex-specific genes within a single hypox-response class, indicating that the genetic heterogeneity of DO mice encompasses responsiveness to hypox. Moreover, several distant gene modules were enriched for gene subsets of the same hypox-response class, highlighting the complex regulation of hypox-responsiveness. Finally, we identified eight sex-specific lncRNAs with strong negative regulatory potential, as indicated by their strong negative correlation of expression across DO mouse livers with that of protein-coding gene modules enriched for genes of the opposite sex bias and inverse hypox-response class. These findings reveal an important role for genetic factors in regulating responsiveness to hypox, and present testable hypotheses for the roles of sex-biased liver lncRNAs in controlling the sex-bias of liver gene expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tisha Melia
- Department of Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David J Waxman
- Department of Biology and Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Correspondence: David J. Waxman, PhD, Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, Massachusetts 02215. E-mail:
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Norheim F, Hasin-Brumshtein Y, Vergnes L, Chella Krishnan K, Pan C, Seldin MM, Hui ST, Mehrabian M, Zhou Z, Gupta S, Parks BW, Walch A, Reue K, Hofmann SM, Arnold AP, Lusis AJ. Gene-by-Sex Interactions in Mitochondrial Functions and Cardio-Metabolic Traits. Cell Metab 2019; 29:932-949.e4. [PMID: 30639359 PMCID: PMC6447452 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 08/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We studied sex differences in over 50 cardio-metabolic traits in a panel of 100 diverse inbred strains of mice. The results clearly showed that the effects of sex on both clinical phenotypes and gene expression depend on the genetic background. In support of this, genetic loci associated with the traits frequently showed sex specificity. For example, Lyplal1, a gene implicated in human obesity, was shown to underlie a sex-specific locus for diet-induced obesity. Global gene expression analyses of tissues across the panel implicated adipose tissue "beiging" and mitochondrial functions in the sex differences. Isolated mitochondria showed gene-by-sex interactions in oxidative functions, such that some strains (C57BL/6J) showed similar function between sexes, whereas others (DBA/2J and A/J) showed increased function in females. Reduced adipose mitochondrial function in males as compared to females was associated with increased susceptibility to obesity and insulin resistance. Gonadectomy studies indicated that gonadal hormones acting in a tissue-specific manner were responsible in part for the sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frode Norheim
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Nutrition, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Yehudit Hasin-Brumshtein
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Laurent Vergnes
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Karthickeyan Chella Krishnan
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Calvin Pan
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marcus M Seldin
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Simon T Hui
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Margarete Mehrabian
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Zhou
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sonul Gupta
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brian W Parks
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Axel Walch
- Research Unit Analytical Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Karen Reue
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Susanna M Hofmann
- Institute of Diabetes and Regeneration Research, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Neuherberg, Germany; German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, München 80336, Germany; Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Ludwig Maximilian Universität (LMU), Munich, Germany
| | - Arthur P Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Aldons J Lusis
- Department of Medicine/Division of Cardiology and Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Wang C, Xu G, Wen Q, Peng X, Chen H, Zhang J, Xu S, Zhang C, Zhang M, Ma J, Hui Z, Wu G, Ma M. CBS promoter hypermethylation increases the risk of hypertension and stroke. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2019; 74:e630. [PMID: 30916171 PMCID: PMC6438132 DOI: 10.6061/clinics/2019/e630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Cystathionine β-synthase is a major enzyme in the metabolism of plasma homocysteine. Hyperhomocysteinemia is positively associated with hypertension and stroke. The present study was performed to examine the possible effects of Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation on the development of hypertension and stroke. METHODS Using quantitative methylation-specific PCR, we determined the Cystathionine β-synthase methylation levels in 218 healthy individuals and 132 and 243 age- and gender-matched stroke and hypertensive patients, respectively. The relative changes in Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation were analyzed using the 2-ΔΔCt method. The percent of the methylated reference of Cystathionine β-synthase was used to represent the Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation levels. RESULTS In this study, the Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation levels of hypertensive and stroke participants were both higher than that of the healthy individuals (median percentages of the methylated reference were 50.61%, 38.05% and 30.53%, respectively, all p<0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that Cystathionine β-synthase promoter hypermethylation increased the risk of hypertension [odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI)=1.035 (1.025-1.045)] and stroke [OR (95% CI)=1.015 (1.003-1.028)]. The area under the curve of Cystathionine β-synthase promoter methylation was 0.844 (95% CI: 0.796-0.892) in male patients with hypertension and 0.722 (95% CI: 0.653-0.799) in male patients with stroke. CONCLUSION Cystathionine β-synthase promoter hypermethylation increases the risk of hypertension and stroke, especially in male patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changyi Wang
- Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine Postdoctoral research station, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jinan University, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Cardiology. The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Shenzhen, China
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guodong Xu
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Qi Wen
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaolin Peng
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongen Chen
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingwen Zhang
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shan Xu
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chunhui Zhang
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianping Ma
- Department of Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Control, Shenzhen Nanshan Center for Chronic Disease Control, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhaohui Hui
- Shenzhen Xili People's Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Guifu Wu
- Department of Cardiology. The Eighth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Shenzhen, China
- Corresponding authors. E-mail: /
| | - Min Ma
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Jinan University, Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
- Corresponding authors. E-mail: /
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Liu PC, Tian S, Hao DJ. Sexual Transcription Differences in Brachymeria lasus (Hymenoptera: Chalcididae), a Pupal Parasitoid Species of Lymantria dispar (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae). Front Genet 2019; 10:172. [PMID: 30891067 PMCID: PMC6411638 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in gene expression have been extensively documented, but little is known about these differences in parasitoid species that are widely applied to control pests. Brachymeria lasus is a solitary parasitoid species and has been evaluated as a potential candidate for release to control Lymantria dispar. In this study, gender differences in B. lasus were investigated using Illumina-based transcriptomic analysis. The resulting 37,453 unigene annotations provided a large amount of useful data for molecular studies of B. lasus. A total of 1416 differentially expressed genes were identified between females and males, and the majority of the sex-biased genes were female biased. Gene Ontology (GO) and Pathway enrichment analyses showed that (1) the functional categories DNA replication, fatty acid biosynthesis, and metabolism were enhanced in females and that (2) the only pathway enriched in males was phototransduction, while the GO subcategories enriched in males were those involved in membrane and ion transport. In addition, thirteen genes involving transient receptor potential (TRP) channels were annotated in B. lasus. We further explored and discussed the functions of TRPs in sensory signaling of light and temperature. In general, this study provides new molecular insights into the biological and sexually dimorphic traits of parasitoids, which may improve the application of these insects to the biological control of pests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng-Cheng Liu
- Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- The College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuo Tian
- Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- The College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - De-Jun Hao
- Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- The College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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Tavalieri YE, Galoppo GH, Canesini G, Truter JC, Ramos JG, Luque EH, Muñoz-de-Toro M. The external genitalia in juvenile Caiman latirostris differ in hormone sex determinate-female from temperature sex determinate-female. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 273:236-248. [PMID: 30292702 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris) is a crocodilian species that inhabits South American wetlands. As in all other crocodilians, the egg incubation temperature during a critical thermo-sensitive window (TSW) determines the sex of the hatchlings, a phenomenon known as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). In C. latirostris, we have shown that administration of 17-β-estradiol (E2) during the TSW overrides the effect of the male-producing temperature, producing phenotypic females (E2SD-females). Moreover, the administration of E2 during TSW has been proposed as an alternative way to improve the recovery of endangered reptile species, by skewing the population sex ratio to one that favors females. However, the ovaries of E2SD-female caimans differ from those of TSD-females. In crocodilians, the external genitalia (i.e. clitero-penis structure or phallus) are sexually dimorphic and hormone-sensitive. Despite some morphological descriptions aimed to facilitate sexing, we found no available data on the C. latirostris phallus histoarchitecture or hormone dependence. Thus, the aims of this study were: (1) to establish the temporal growth pattern of the phallus in male and female caimans; (2) to evaluate histo-morphological features and the expression of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and androgen receptor (AR) in the phallus of male and female pre-pubertal juvenile caimans; and (3) to determine whether the phallus of TSD-females differs from the phallus of E2SD-females. Our results demonstrated sexually dimorphic differences in the size and growth dynamics of the caiman external genitalia, similarities in the shape and spatial distribution of general histo-morphological compartments, and sexually dimorphic differences in innervation, smooth muscle fiber distribution, collagen organization, and ERα and AR expressions. The external genitalia of E2SD-females differed from that of TSD-females in many histological features and in the expression of ERα and AR, resembling patterns described in males. Our results alert on the effects of estrogen agonist exposure during TSW and suggest that caution must be taken regarding the use of E2SD as a procedure for wildlife population management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y E Tavalieri
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina; Catedra de Patología Humana, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - G H Galoppo
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina; Catedra de Patología Humana, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - G Canesini
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina; Catedra de Patología Humana, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - J C Truter
- Department of Genetics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
| | - J G Ramos
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina; Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica y Cuantitativa, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - E H Luque
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina; Catedra de Fisiología Humana, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - M Muñoz-de-Toro
- Instituto de Salud y Ambiente del Litoral (ISAL), Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral-CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina; Catedra de Patología Humana, Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina.
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Guo S, Zhou Y, Zeng P, Xu G, Wang G, Cui Q. Identification and analysis of the human sex-biased genes. Brief Bioinform 2019; 19:188-198. [PMID: 28028006 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbw125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Tremendous differences between human sexes are universally observed. Therefore, identifying and analyzing the sex-biased genes are becoming basically important for uncovering the mystery of sex differences and personalized medicine. Here, we presented a computational method to identify sex-biased genes from public gene expression databases. We obtained 1407 female-biased genes (FGs) and 1096 male-biased genes (MGs) across 14 different tissues. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that compared with MGs, FGs have higher evolutionary rate, higher single-nucleotide polymorphism density, less homologous gene numbers and smaller phyletic age. FGs have lower expression level, higher tissue specificity and later expressed stage in body development. Moreover, FGs are highly involved in immune-related functions, whereas MGs are more enriched in metabolic process. In addition, cellular network analysis revealed that MGs have higher degree, more cellular activating signaling and tend to be located in cellular inner space, whereas FGs have lower degree, more cellular repressing signaling and tend to be located in cellular outer space. Finally, the identified sex-biased genes and the discovered biological insights together can be a valuable resource helpful for investigating sex-biased physiology and medicine, for example sex-biased disease diagnosis and therapy, which represents one important aspect of personalized and precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Guo
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, MOE Key Lab of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Rd, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, MOE Key Lab of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Rd, Beijing, China
| | - Pan Zeng
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, MOE Key Lab of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Rd, Beijing, China
| | - Guoheng Xu
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, MOE Key Lab of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Rd, Beijing, China
| | - Guoqing Wang
- Department of Pathogenobiology, College of Basic Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Qinghua Cui
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, MOE Key Lab of Cardiovascular Sciences, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, 38 Xueyuan Rd, Beijing, China
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Pinharanda A, Rousselle M, Martin SH, Hanly JJ, Davey JW, Kumar S, Galtier N, Jiggins CD. Sexually dimorphic gene expression and transcriptome evolution provide mixed evidence for a fast-Z effect in Heliconius. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:194-204. [PMID: 30523653 PMCID: PMC6850379 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosomes have different evolutionary properties compared to autosomes due to their hemizygous nature. In particular, recessive mutations are more readily exposed to selection, which can lead to faster rates of molecular evolution. Here, we report patterns of gene expression and molecular evolution for a group of butterflies. First, we improve the completeness of the Heliconius melpomene reference annotation, a neotropical butterfly with a ZW sex determination system. Then, we analyse RNA from male and female whole abdomens and sequence female ovary and gut tissue to identify sex‐ and tissue‐specific gene expression profiles in H. melpomene. Using these expression profiles, we compare (a) sequence divergence and polymorphism; (b) the strength of positive and negative selection; and (c) rates of adaptive evolution, for Z and autosomal genes between two species of Heliconius butterflies, H. melpomene and H. erato. We show that the rate of adaptive substitutions is higher for Z than autosomal genes, but contrary to expectation, it is also higher for male‐biased than female‐biased genes. Additionally, we find no significant increase in the rate of adaptive evolution or purifying selection on genes expressed in ovary tissue, a heterogametic‐specific tissue. Our results contribute to a growing body of literature from other ZW systems that also provide mixed evidence for a fast‐Z effect where hemizygosity influences the rate of adaptive substitutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pinharanda
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Marjolaine Rousselle
- UMR 5554 Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Simon H Martin
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joe J Hanly
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John W Davey
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Sujai Kumar
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Nicolas Galtier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Chris D Jiggins
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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