1
|
Cherian CM, Reeves HR, De Silva D, Tsao S, Marshall KE, Rideout EJ. Consideration of sex as a biological variable in diabetes research across twenty years. Biol Sex Differ 2024; 15:19. [PMID: 38409052 PMCID: PMC10895746 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-024-00595-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences exist in the risk of developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and in the risk of developing diabetes-associated complications. Sex differences in glucose homeostasis, islet and β cell biology, and peripheral insulin sensitivity have also been reported. Yet, we lack detailed information on the mechanisms underlying these differences, preventing the development of sex-informed therapeutic strategies for persons living with diabetes. To chart a path toward greater inclusion of biological sex as a variable in diabetes research, we first need a detailed assessment of common practices in the field. METHODS We developed a scoring system to evaluate the inclusion of biological sex in manuscripts published in Diabetes, a journal published by the American Diabetes Association. We chose Diabetes as this journal focuses solely on diabetes and diabetes-related research, and includes manuscripts that use both clinical and biomedical approaches. We scored papers published across 3 years within a 20-year period (1999, 2009, 2019), a timeframe that spans the introduction of funding agency and journal policies designed to improve the consideration of biological sex as a variable. RESULTS Our analysis showed fewer than 15% of papers used sex-based analysis in even one figure across all study years, a trend that was reproduced across journal-defined categories of diabetes research (e.g., islet studies, signal transduction). Single-sex studies accounted for approximately 40% of all manuscripts, of which > 87% used male subjects only. While we observed a modest increase in the overall inclusion of sex as a biological variable during our study period, our data highlight significant opportunities for improvement in diabetes research practices. We also present data supporting a positive role for journal policies in promoting better consideration of biological sex in diabetes research. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis provides significant insight into common practices in diabetes research related to the consideration of biological sex as a variable. Based on our analysis we recommend ways that diabetes researchers can improve inclusion of biological sex as a variable. In the long term, improved practices will reveal sex-specific mechanisms underlying diabetes risk and complications, generating knowledge to enable the development of sex-informed prevention and treatment strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Celena M Cherian
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Hayley R Reeves
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- School of Molecular Biosciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Duneesha De Silva
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Orthopaedics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Serena Tsao
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
| | - Katie E Marshall
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Elizabeth J Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Life Sciences Center, 2350 Health Sciences Mall (RM3308), Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sun Y, Li X, Mai J, Xu W, Wang J, Zhang Q, Wang N. Three Copies of zbed1 Specific in Chromosome W Are Essential for Female-Biased Sexual Size Dimorphism in Cynoglossus semilaevis. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:141. [PMID: 38534411 DOI: 10.3390/biology13030141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
The sex chromosome, especially specific in one sex, generally determines sexual size dimorphism (SSD), a phenomenon with dimorphic sexual difference in the body size. For Cynoglossus semilaevis, a flatfish in China, although the importance of chromosome W and its specific gene zbed1 in female-biased SSD have been suggested, its family members and regulation information are still unknown. At present, three zbed1 copies gene were identified on chromosome W, with no gametologs. Phylogenetic analysis for the ZBED family revealed an existence of ZBED9 in the fish. Nine members were uncovered from C. semilaevis, clustering into three kinds, ZBED1, ZBED4 and ZBEDX, which is less than the eleven kinds of ZBED members in mammals. The predominant expression of zbed1 in the female brain and pituitary tissues was further verified by qPCR. Transcription factor c/ebpα could significantly enhance the transcriptional activity of zbed1 promoter, which is opposite to its effect on the male determinant factor-dmrt1. When zbed1 was interfered with, piwil1, esr2 and wnt7b were up-regulated, while cell-cycle-related genes, including cdk4 and ccng1, were down-regulated. Thus, zbed1 is involved in cell proliferation by regulating esr2, piwil1, cell cycle and the Wnt pathway. Further research on their interactions would be helpful to understand fish SSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Sun
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Marine Bioresources and Environment, Jiangsu Ocean University, Lianyungang 222000, China
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Xihong Li
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jiaqi Mai
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Dalian Ocean University, Dalian 116023, China
| | - Wenteng Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Jiacheng Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Qi Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
- Fisheries College, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan 316022, China
| | - Na Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Mariculture Biobreeding and Sustainable Goods, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Bland ML. Regulating metabolism to shape immune function: Lessons from Drosophila. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 138:128-141. [PMID: 35440411 PMCID: PMC10617008 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Infection with pathogenic microbes is a severe threat that hosts manage by activating the innate immune response. In Drosophila melanogaster, the Toll and Imd signaling pathways are activated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns to initiate cellular and humoral immune processes that neutralize and kill invaders. The Toll and Imd signaling pathways operate in organs such as fat body and gut that control host nutrient metabolism, and infections or genetic activation of Toll and Imd signaling also induce wide-ranging changes in host lipid, carbohydrate and protein metabolism. Metabolic regulation by immune signaling can confer resistance to or tolerance of infection, but it can also lead to pathology and susceptibility to infection. These immunometabolic phenotypes are described in this review, as are changes in endocrine signaling and gene regulation that mediate survival during infection. Future work in the field is anticipated to determine key variables such as sex, dietary nutrients, life stage, and pathogen characteristics that modify immunometabolic phenotypes and, importantly, to uncover the mechanisms used by the immune system to regulate metabolism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Bland
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Brownrigg GP, Xia YH, Chu CMJ, Wang S, Chao C, Zhang JA, Skovsø S, Panzhinskiy E, Hu X, Johnson JD, Rideout EJ. Sex differences in islet stress responses support female β cell resilience. Mol Metab 2023; 69:101678. [PMID: 36690328 PMCID: PMC9971554 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2023.101678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pancreatic β cells play a key role in maintaining glucose homeostasis; dysfunction of this critical cell type causes type 2 diabetes (T2D). Emerging evidence points to sex differences in β cells, but few studies have examined male-female differences in β cell stress responses and resilience across multiple contexts, including diabetes. Here, we address the need for high-quality information on sex differences in β cell and islet gene expression and function using both human and rodent samples. METHODS In humans, we compared β cell gene expression and insulin secretion in donors with T2D to non-diabetic donors in both males and females. In mice, we generated a well-powered islet RNAseq dataset from 20-week-old male and female siblings with similar insulin sensitivity. Our unbiased gene expression analysis pointed to a sex difference in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress response. Based on this analysis, we hypothesized female islets would be more resilient to ER stress than male islets. To test this, we subjected islets isolated from age-matched male and female mice to thapsigargin treatment and monitored protein synthesis, cell death, and β cell insulin production and secretion. Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were used to characterize sex differences in islet responses to ER stress. RESULTS Our single-cell analysis of human β cells revealed sex-specific changes to gene expression and function in T2D, correlating with more robust insulin secretion in human islets isolated from female donors with T2D compared to male donors with T2D. In mice, RNA sequencing revealed differential enrichment of unfolded protein response pathway-associated genes, where female islets showed higher expression of genes linked with protein synthesis, folding, and processing. This differential expression was physiologically significant, as islets isolated from female mice were more resilient to ER stress induction with thapsigargin. Specifically, female islets showed a greater ability to maintain glucose-stimulated insulin production and secretion during ER stress compared with males. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate sex differences in β cell gene expression in both humans and mice, and that female β cells show a greater ability to maintain glucose-stimulated insulin secretion across multiple physiological and pathological contexts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- George P Brownrigg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Yi Han Xia
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Chieh Min Jamie Chu
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Su Wang
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Charlotte Chao
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Jiashuo Aaron Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Søs Skovsø
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Evgeniy Panzhinskiy
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Xiaoke Hu
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Elizabeth J Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lushchak O, Strilbytska O, Storey KB. Gender-specific effects of pro-longevity interventions in Drosophila. Mech Ageing Dev 2023; 209:111754. [PMID: 36375654 DOI: 10.1016/j.mad.2022.111754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in lifespan are well recognized in the majority of animal species. For example, in male versus female Drosophila melanogaster there are significant differences in behavior and physiology. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of gender differences in responses to pro-longevity interventions in this model organism. Here we summarize the existing data on the effects of nutritional and pharmacological anti-aging interventions such as nutrition regimens, diet and dietary supplementation on the lifespan of male and female Drosophila. We demonstrate that males and females have different sensitivities to interventions and that the effects are highly dependent on genetic background, mating, dose and exposure duration. Our work highlights the importance of understanding the mechanisms that underlie the gender-specific effect of anti-aging manipulations. This will provide insight into how these benefits may be valuable for elucidating the primary physiological and molecular targets involved in aging and lifespan determination.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oleh Lushchak
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, 57 Shevchenka str., Ivano-Frankivsk 76018, Ukraine; Research and Development University, 13a Shota Rustaveli Str., Ivano-Frankivsk 76018, Ukraine.
| | - Olha Strilbytska
- Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Vasyl Stefanyk Precarpathian National University, 57 Shevchenka str., Ivano-Frankivsk 76018, Ukraine
| | - Kenneth B Storey
- Institute of Biochemistry, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Paloma Álvarez-Rendón J, Manuel Murillo-Maldonado J, Rafael Riesgo-Escovar J. The insulin signaling pathway a century after its discovery: Sexual dimorphism in insulin signaling. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 330:114146. [PMID: 36270337 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Since practically a century ago, the insulin pathway was discovered in both vertebrates and invertebrates, implying an evolutionarily ancient origin. After a century of research, it is now clear that the insulin signal transduction pathway is a critical, flexible and pleiotropic pathway, evolving into multiple anabolic functions besides glucose homeostasis. It regulates paramount aspects of organismal well-being like growth, longevity, intermediate metabolism, and reproduction. Part of this diversification has been attained by duplications and divergence of both ligands and receptors riding on a common general signal transduction system. One of the aspects that is strikingly different is its usage in reproduction, particularly in male versus female development and fertility within the same species. This review highlights sexual divergence in metabolism and reproductive tract differences, the occurrence of sexually "exaggerated" traits, and sex size differences that are due to the sexes' differential activity/response to the insulin signaling pathway.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jéssica Paloma Álvarez-Rendón
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
| | - Juan Manuel Murillo-Maldonado
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico
| | - Juan Rafael Riesgo-Escovar
- Departamento de Neurobiología del Desarrollo y Neurofisiología, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Regan JC, Lu YX, Ureña E, Meilenbrock RL, Catterson JH, Kißler D, Fröhlich J, Funk E, Partridge L. Sexual identity of enterocytes regulates autophagy to determine intestinal health, lifespan and responses to rapamycin. NATURE AGING 2022; 2:1145-1158. [PMID: 37118538 PMCID: PMC10154239 DOI: 10.1038/s43587-022-00308-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacological attenuation of mTOR presents a promising route for delay of age-related disease. Here we show that treatment of Drosophila with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin extends lifespan in females, but not in males. Female-specific, age-related gut pathology is markedly slowed by rapamycin treatment, mediated by increased autophagy. Treatment increases enterocyte autophagy in females, via the H3/H4 histone-Bchs axis, whereas males show high basal levels of enterocyte autophagy that are not increased by rapamycin feeding. Enterocyte sexual identity, determined by transformerFemale expression, dictates sexually dimorphic cell size, H3/H4-Bchs expression, basal rates of autophagy, fecundity, intestinal homeostasis and lifespan extension in response to rapamycin. Dimorphism in autophagy is conserved in mice, where intestine, brown adipose tissue and muscle exhibit sex differences in autophagy and response to rapamycin. This study highlights tissue sex as a determining factor in the regulation of metabolic processes by mTOR and the efficacy of mTOR-targeted, anti-aging drug treatments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Regan
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
- Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | - Yu-Xuan Lu
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Enric Ureña
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - James H Catterson
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Disna Kißler
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jenny Fröhlich
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Emilie Funk
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany
| | - Linda Partridge
- Institute of Healthy Ageing, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
- Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Corbally MK, Regan JC. Fly immunity comes of age: The utility of Drosophila as a model for studying variation in immunosenescence. FRONTIERS IN AGING 2022; 3:1016962. [PMID: 36268532 PMCID: PMC9576847 DOI: 10.3389/fragi.2022.1016962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
|
9
|
Adipose mitochondrial metabolism controls body growth by modulating systemic cytokine and insulin signaling. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110802. [PMID: 35545043 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals must adapt their growth to fluctuations in nutrient availability to ensure proper development. These adaptations often rely on specific nutrient-sensing tissues that control whole-body physiology through inter-organ communication. While the signaling mechanisms that underlie this communication are well studied, the contributions of metabolic alterations in nutrient-sensing tissues are less clear. Here, we show how the reprogramming of adipose mitochondria controls whole-body growth in Drosophila larvae. We find that dietary nutrients alter fat-body mitochondrial morphology to lower their bioenergetic activity, leading to rewiring of fat-body glucose metabolism. Strikingly, we find that genetic reduction of mitochondrial bioenergetics just in the fat body is sufficient to accelerate body growth and development. These growth effects are caused by inhibition of the fat-derived secreted peptides ImpL2 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)/Eiger, leading to enhanced systemic insulin signaling. Our work reveals how reprogramming of mitochondrial metabolism in one nutrient-sensing tissue can couple nutrient availability to whole-body growth.
Collapse
|
10
|
Okamoto N, Watanabe A. Interorgan communication through peripherally derived peptide hormones in Drosophila. Fly (Austin) 2022; 16:152-176. [PMID: 35499154 PMCID: PMC9067537 DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2022.2061834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In multicellular organisms, endocrine factors such as hormones and cytokines regulate development and homoeostasis through communication between different organs. For understanding such interorgan communications through endocrine factors, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster serves as an excellent model system due to conservation of essential endocrine systems between flies and mammals and availability of powerful genetic tools. In Drosophila and other insects, functions of neuropeptides or peptide hormones from the central nervous system have been extensively studied. However, a series of recent studies conducted in Drosophila revealed that peptide hormones derived from peripheral tissues also play critical roles in regulating multiple biological processes, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, and behaviour. Here, we summarise recent advances in understanding target organs/tissues and functions of peripherally derived peptide hormones in Drosophila and describe how these hormones contribute to various biological events through interorgan communications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Naoki Okamoto
- Life Science Center for Survival Dynamics, Tsukuba Advanced Research Alliance (TARA), University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Akira Watanabe
- Degree Programs in Life and Earth Sciences, Graduate School of Science and Technology, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Sex-specific regulation of development, growth and metabolism. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 138:117-127. [PMID: 35469676 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Adult females and males of most species differ in many aspects of their morphology, physiology and behavior, in response to sex-specific selective pressures that maximize fitness. While we have an increasingly good understanding of the genetic mechanisms that initiate these differences, the sex-specific developmental trajectories that generate them are much less well understood. Here we review recent advances in the sex-specific regulation of development focusing on two models where this development is increasingly well understood: Sexual dimorphism of body size in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and sexual dimorphism of horns in the horned beetle Onthophagus taurus. Because growth and development are also supported by metabolism, the regulation of sex-specific metabolism during and after development is an important aspect of the generation of female and male phenotypes. Hitherto, the study of sex-specific development has largely been independent of the study of sex-specific metabolism. Nevertheless, as we discuss in this review, recent research has begun to reveal considerable overlap in the cellular and physiological mechanisms that regulate sex-specific development and metabolism.
Collapse
|
12
|
Millington JW, Biswas P, Chao C, Xia YH, Wat LW, Brownrigg GP, Sun Z, Basner-Collins PJ, Klein Geltink RI, Rideout EJ. A low-sugar diet enhances Drosophila body size in males and females via sex-specific mechanisms. Development 2022; 149:dev200491. [PMID: 35195254 PMCID: PMC10656461 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In Drosophila, changes to dietary protein elicit different body size responses between the sexes. Whether these differential body size effects extend to other macronutrients remains unclear. Here, we show that lowering dietary sugar (0S diet) enhanced body size in male and female larvae. Despite an equivalent phenotypic effect between the sexes, we detected sex-specific changes to signalling pathways, transcription and whole-body glycogen and protein. In males, the low-sugar diet augmented insulin/insulin-like growth factor signalling pathway (IIS) activity by increasing insulin sensitivity, where increased IIS was required for male metabolic and body size responses in 0S. In females reared on low sugar, IIS activity and insulin sensitivity were unaffected, and IIS function did not fully account for metabolic and body size responses. Instead, we identified a female-biased requirement for the Target of rapamycin pathway in regulating metabolic and body size responses. Together, our data suggest the mechanisms underlying the low-sugar-induced increase in body size are not fully shared between the sexes, highlighting the importance of including males and females in larval studies even when similar phenotypic outcomes are observed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason W. Millington
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Puja Biswas
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Charlotte Chao
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Yi Han Xia
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Lianna W. Wat
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - George P. Brownrigg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ziwei Sun
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Paige J. Basner-Collins
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ramon I. Klein Geltink
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Elizabeth J. Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1Z3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Strilbytska OM, Stefanyshyn NP, Semaniuk UV, Lushchak OV. Yeast concentration in the diet defines Drosophila metabolism of both parental and offspring generations. UKRAINIAN BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.15407/ubj93.06.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
|
14
|
Wat LW, Chowdhury ZS, Millington JW, Biswas P, Rideout EJ. Sex determination gene transformer regulates the male-female difference in Drosophila fat storage via the adipokinetic hormone pathway. eLife 2021; 10:e72350. [PMID: 34672260 PMCID: PMC8594944 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in whole-body fat storage exist in many species. For example, Drosophila females store more fat than males. Yet, the mechanisms underlying this sex difference in fat storage remain incompletely understood. Here, we identify a key role for sex determination gene transformer (tra) in regulating the male-female difference in fat storage. Normally, a functional Tra protein is present only in females, where it promotes female sexual development. We show that loss of Tra in females reduced whole-body fat storage, whereas gain of Tra in males augmented fat storage. Tra's role in promoting fat storage was largely due to its function in neurons, specifically the Adipokinetic hormone (Akh)-producing cells (APCs). Our analysis of Akh pathway regulation revealed a male bias in APC activity and Akh pathway function, where this sex-biased regulation influenced the sex difference in fat storage by limiting triglyceride accumulation in males. Importantly, Tra loss in females increased Akh pathway activity, and genetically manipulating the Akh pathway rescued Tra-dependent effects on fat storage. This identifies sex-specific regulation of Akh as one mechanism underlying the male-female difference in whole-body triglyceride levels, and provides important insight into the conserved mechanisms underlying sexual dimorphism in whole-body fat storage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lianna W Wat
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Zahid S Chowdhury
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Jason W Millington
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Puja Biswas
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Elizabeth J Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, The University of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Mank JE, Rideout EJ. Developmental mechanisms of sex differences: from cells to organisms. Development 2021; 148:272484. [PMID: 34647574 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Male-female differences in many developmental mechanisms lead to the formation of two morphologically and physiologically distinct sexes. Although this is expected for traits with prominent differences between the sexes, such as the gonads, sex-specific processes also contribute to traits without obvious male-female differences, such as the intestine. Here, we review sex differences in developmental mechanisms that operate at several levels of biological complexity - molecular, cellular, organ and organismal - and discuss how these differences influence organ formation, function and whole-body physiology. Together, the examples we highlight show that one simple way to gain a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of animal development is to include both sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith E Mank
- Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.,Biosciences, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Elizabeth J Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Disparate regulation of IMD signaling drives sex differences in infection pathology in Drosophila melanogaster. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2026554118. [PMID: 34341118 PMCID: PMC8364183 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2026554118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in infection outcome are a widely observed phenomenon. While it is known that biological sex can influence an animal’s response to infection, the mechanisms through which these differences emerge are less clear. Here, we describe a mechanism through which heightened regulation of the IMD signaling pathway by female—but not male—Drosophila melanogaster reduces the cost of immune activity at the expense of resistance to bacterial infection. Through the masculinization of the main organ responsible for antimicrobial peptide activity in the fly (fat body), this work demonstrates that this heightened immune regulation is mediated by sex-determining pathways. Male and female animals exhibit differences in infection outcomes. One possible source of sexually dimorphic immunity is the sex-specific costs of immune activity or pathology, but little is known about the independent effects of immune- versus microbe-induced pathology and whether these may differ for the sexes. Here, by measuring metabolic and physiological outputs in Drosophila melanogaster with wild-type and mutant immune responses, we test whether the sexes are differentially impacted by these various sources of pathology and identify a critical regulator of this difference. We find that the sexes exhibit differential immune activity but similar bacteria-derived metabolic pathology. We show that female-specific immune-inducible expression of PGRP-LB, a negative regulator of the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway, enables females to reduce immune activity in response to reductions in bacterial numbers. In the absence of PGRP-LB, females are more resistant to infection, confirming the functional importance of this regulation and suggesting that female-biased immune restriction comes at a cost.
Collapse
|
17
|
Meschi E, Delanoue R. Adipokine and fat body in flies: Connecting organs. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 533:111339. [PMID: 34082046 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2021.111339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Under conditions of nutritional and environmental stress, organismal homeostasis is preserved through inter-communication between multiple organs. To do so, higher organisms have developed a system of interorgan communication through which one tissue can affect the metabolism, activity or fate of remote organs, tissues or cells. In this review, we discuss the latest findings emphasizing Drosophila melanogaster as a powerful model organism to study these interactions and may constitute one of the best documented examples depicting the long-distance communication between organs. In flies, the adipose tissue appears to be one of the main organizing centers for the regulation of insect development and behavior: it senses nutritional and hormonal signals and in turn, orchestrates the release of appropriate adipokines. We discuss the nature and the role of recently uncovered adipokines, their regulations by external cues, their secretory routes and their modes of action to adjust developmental growth and timing accordingly. These findings have the potential for identification of candidate factors and signaling pathways that mediate conserved interorgan crosstalk.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Meschi
- Centre for Neural Circuit and Behaviour, University of Oxford, Mansfield road, OX3 1SR, Oxford, UK
| | - Renald Delanoue
- University Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institute of Biology Valrose Parc Valrose, 06108, Nice, France.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Kim SK, Tsao DD, Suh GSB, Miguel-Aliaga I. Discovering signaling mechanisms governing metabolism and metabolic diseases with Drosophila. Cell Metab 2021; 33:1279-1292. [PMID: 34139200 PMCID: PMC8612010 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2021.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
There has been rapid growth in the use of Drosophila and other invertebrate systems to dissect mechanisms governing metabolism. New assays and approaches to physiology have aligned with superlative genetic tools in fruit flies to provide a powerful platform for posing new questions, or dissecting classical problems in metabolism and disease genetics. In multiple examples, these discoveries exploit experimental advantages as-yet unavailable in mammalian systems. Here, we illustrate how fly studies have addressed long-standing questions in three broad areas-inter-organ signaling through hormonal or neural mechanisms governing metabolism, intestinal interoception and feeding, and the cellular and signaling basis of sexually dimorphic metabolism and physiology-and how these findings relate to human (patho)physiology. The imaginative application of integrative physiology and related approaches in flies to questions in metabolism is expanding, and will be an engine of discovery, revealing paradigmatic features of metabolism underlying human diseases and physiological equipoise in health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seung K Kim
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine (Endocrinology), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Diabetes Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Deborah D Tsao
- Department of Developmental Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Greg S B Suh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, South Korea.
| | - Irene Miguel-Aliaga
- MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences, London, UK; Institute of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Rohner PT. A role for sex-determination genes in life history evolution? Doublesex mediates sexual size dimorphism in the gazelle dung beetle. J Evol Biol 2021; 34:1326-1332. [PMID: 34075658 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
An organism's fitness depends strongly on its age and size at maturation. Although the evolutionary forces acting on these critical life history traits have been heavily scrutinized, the developmental mechanisms underpinning intraspecific variation in adult size and development time remain much less well-understood. Using RNA interference, I here show that the highly conserved sex-determination gene doublesex (dsx) mediates sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in the gazelle dung beetle Digitonthophagus gazella. Because doublesex undergoes sex-specific splicing and sex-limited isoforms regulate different target genes, this suggests that dsx contributes to the resolution of intralocus sexual conflict in body size. However, these results contrast with previous studies demonstrating that dsx does not affect body size or SSD in Drosophila. This indicates that intraspecific body size variation is underlain by contrasting developmental mechanisms in different insect lineages. Furthermore, although male D. gazella have a longer development time than females, sexual bimaturism was not affected by dsx expression knockdown. In addition, and in contrast to secondary sexual morphology, dsx did not significantly affect nutritional plasticity in life history. Taken together, these findings indicate that dsx signalling contributes to intraspecific life history variation but that dsx's function in mediating sexual dimorphism in life history differs among traits and species. More generally, these findings suggest that genes ancestrally tasked with sex determination have been co-opted into the developmental regulation of life history traits and may represent an underappreciated mechanism of life history evolution.
Collapse
|
20
|
McDonald JMC, Nabili P, Thorsen L, Jeon S, Shingleton AW. Sex-specific plasticity and the nutritional geometry of insulin-signaling gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster. EvoDevo 2021; 12:6. [PMID: 33990225 PMCID: PMC8120840 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-021-00175-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual-size dimorphism (SSD) is replete among animals, but while the selective pressures that drive the evolution of SSD have been well studied, the developmental mechanisms upon which these pressures act are poorly understood. Ours and others' research has shown that SSD in D. melanogaster reflects elevated levels of nutritional plasticity in females versus males, such that SSD increases with dietary intake and body size, a phenomenon called sex-specific plasticity (SSP). Additional data indicate that while body size in both sexes responds to variation in protein level, only female body size is sensitive to variation in carbohydrate level. Here, we explore whether these difference in sensitivity at the morphological level are reflected by differences in how the insulin/IGF-signaling (IIS) and TOR-signaling pathways respond to changes in carbohydrates and proteins in females versus males, using a nutritional geometry approach. RESULTS The IIS-regulated transcripts of 4E-BP and InR most strongly correlated with body size in females and males, respectively, but neither responded to carbohydrate level and so could not explain the sex-specific response to body size to dietary carbohydrate. Transcripts regulated by TOR-signaling did, however, respond to dietary carbohydrate in a sex-specific manner. In females, expression of dILP5 positively correlated with body size, while expression of dILP2,3 and 8, was elevated on diets with a low concentration of both carbohydrate and protein. In contrast, we detected lower levels of dILP2 and 5 protein in the brains of females fed on low concentration diets. We could not detect any effect of diet on dILP expression in males. CONCLUSION Although females and males show sex-specific transcriptional responses to changes in protein and carbohydrate, the patterns of expression do not support a simple model of the regulation of body-size SSP by either insulin- or TOR-signaling. The data also indicate a complex relationship between carbohydrate and protein level, dILP expression and dILP peptide levels in the brain. In general, diet quality and sex both affect the transcriptional response to changes in diet quantity, and so should be considered in future studies that explore the effect of nutrition on body size.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne M C McDonald
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Corson Hall Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
- Department of Biology, Lake Forest College, 555 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, USA
| | - Pegah Nabili
- Department of Biology, Lake Forest College, 555 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, USA
| | - Lily Thorsen
- Department of Biology, Lake Forest College, 555 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, USA
| | - Sohee Jeon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Alexander W Shingleton
- Department of Biology, Lake Forest College, 555 North Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL, 60045, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Millington JW, Brownrigg GP, Basner-Collins PJ, Sun Z, Rideout EJ. Genetic manipulation of insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway activity has sex-biased effects on Drosophila body size. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2021; 11:jkaa067. [PMID: 33793746 PMCID: PMC8063079 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkaa067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In Drosophila raised in nutrient-rich conditions, female body size is approximately 30% larger than male body size due to an increased rate of growth and differential weight loss during the larval period. While the mechanisms that control this sex difference in body size remain incompletely understood, recent studies suggest that the insulin/insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway (IIS) plays a role in the sex-specific regulation of processes that influence body size during development. In larvae, IIS activity differs between the sexes, and there is evidence of sex-specific regulation of IIS ligands. Yet, we lack knowledge of how changes to IIS activity impact body size in each sex, as the majority of studies on IIS and body size use single- or mixed-sex groups of larvae and/or adult flies. The goal of our current study was to clarify the body size requirement for IIS activity in each sex. To achieve this goal, we used established genetic approaches to enhance, or inhibit, IIS activity, and quantified pupal size in males and females. Overall, genotypes that inhibited IIS activity caused a female-biased decrease in body size, whereas genotypes that augmented IIS activity caused a male-specific increase in body size. These data extend our current understanding of body size regulation by showing that most changes to IIS pathway activity have sex-biased effects, and highlights the importance of analyzing body size data according to sex.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Millington
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - George P Brownrigg
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Paige J Basner-Collins
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Ziwei Sun
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Elizabeth J Rideout
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| |
Collapse
|