Background: Genomes of men and women differ in only a limited number of genes located on the sex chromosomes, whereas the transcriptome is far more sex-specific. Identification of sex-biased gene expression will contribute to understanding the molecular basis of sex-differences in complex traits and common diseases.
Results: Sex differences in the human peripheral blood transcriptome were characterized using microarrays in 5,241 subjects, accounting for menopause status and hormonal contraceptive use. Sex-specific expression was observed for 582 autosomal genes, of which 57.7% was upregulated in women (female-biased genes). Female-biased genes were enriched for several immune system GO categories, genes linked to rheumatoid arthritis (16%) and genes regulated by estrogen (18%). Male-biased genes were enriched for genes linked to renal cancer (9%). Sex-differences in gene expression were smaller in postmenopausal women, larger in women using hormonal contraceptives and not caused by sex-specific eQTLs, confirming the role of estrogen in regulating sex-biased genes.
Conclusions: This study indicates that sex-bias in gene expression is extensive and may underlie sex-differences in the prevalence of common diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2164-15-33 | DOI Listing |
Elife
January 2025
Center for Medical Genetics Ghent, Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
Heritable fragile bone disorders (FBDs), ranging from multifactorial to rare monogenic conditions, are characterized by an elevated fracture risk. Validating causative genes and understanding their mechanisms remain challenging. We assessed a semi-high throughput zebrafish screening platform for rapid in vivo functional testing of candidate FBD genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnticancer Agents Med Chem
January 2025
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkiye.
Introduction/objective: Plants and their bioactive compounds play a crucial role in the pharmaceutical industry for treating cancer. To date, the cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects of Hypericum perforatum methanol extract on human thyroid cancer cell lines have not been thoroughly explored. The present study aimed to assess the potential anti-cancer effects of HPME on human thyroid cancer and investigate its potential therapeutic benefits.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol
January 2025
British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence, School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences, King's College London, United Kingdom. (M.W., M.F., R.O., L.S., M.M., C.M.S.).
Background: The ECM (extracellular matrix) provides the microenvironmental niche sensed by resident vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Aging and disease are associated with dramatic changes in ECM composition and properties; however, their impact on the VSMC phenotype remains poorly studied.
Methods: Here, we describe a novel in vitro model system that utilizes endogenous ECM to study how modifications associated with age and metabolic disease impact the VSMC phenotype.
Chem Biodivers
January 2025
Yatsen Global Innovation R&D Center, Yatsen Global Innovation R&D Center, No. 11 Building, No. 210, Wenshui Road, Jingan District, Shanghai, CHINA.
A new depside glucoside rosarugoside E (1), together with four known compounds punicalagin (2), corilagin (3), granatin B (4) and ellagic acid (5) were isolated from the ethanol extract of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) flower. Their structures were identified based on careful analysis of various spectral data including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnn Transl Med
December 2024
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is increasingly thought to be a multifactorial disease in which sustained gut inflammation serves as a continued source of inflammatory mediators driving degenerative processes at distant sites such as joints. The objective of this study was to use the equine model of naturally occurring obesity associated OA to compare the fecal microbiome in OA and health and correlate those findings to differential gene expression synovial fluid (SF) cells, circulating leukocytes and cytokine levels (plasma, SF) towards improved understanding of the interplay between microbiome and immune transcriptome in OA pathophysiology.
Methods: Feces, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), and SF cells were isolated from healthy skeletally mature horses (n=12; 6 males, 6 females) and those with OA (n=6, 2 females, 4 males).
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