Background:Strong sex disparities have been observed among patients with bladder cancer(BCa).FGFR3 is one of the most frequently mutated genes in bladder cancer,and there are inconsistencies in its frequency in male a...Background:Strong sex disparities have been observed among patients with bladder cancer(BCa).FGFR3 is one of the most frequently mutated genes in bladder cancer,and there are inconsistencies in its frequency in male and female patients.Methods:Here,we conducted a meta-analysis comparing the FGFR3 somatic mutation frequency in men and women among 7351 patients with BCa from 18 cohorts.Results:We showed that female patients had a 1.32 times higher risk of having FGFR3 somatic mutations than males.This difference was attributed to mutations occurring at the 2 most frequently mutated sites,S249 and Y375.Additionally,nonsense mutations were more likely to be found in women,whereas indel/frameshift mutations were almost exclusively found in men;however,no difference was noted for missense mutations.Conclusions:A female sex bias in FGFR3 somatic mutationswas observed in BCa.Well-powered individual participant data analyses addressing the possible confounding effects of other factors(eg,age,ethnicity,smoking status,muscle invasiveness,and molecular subtype),as well as analyses integrating omics and functional investigations,are warranted to further validate and explain the mechanisms of the current findings.展开更多
The mu oil tree(Vernicia montana Lour.) is a dioecious species, but the genetic mechanisms underlying its phenotypic sexual dimorphism are unclear. In this study, we determined two pivotal phases of sex differentiatio...The mu oil tree(Vernicia montana Lour.) is a dioecious species, but the genetic mechanisms underlying its phenotypic sexual dimorphism are unclear. In this study, we determined two pivotal phases of sex differentiation of mu oil tree via morphological and histological analyses of unisexual flowers:(Ⅰ) differentiation of male or female primordia to produce staminate flowers(SFs) or transient hermaphrodite flowers(HFs),and(Ⅱ) complete abortion of stamens in transient HFs to generate pistillate flowers(PFs). A total of 1621 sex-biased genes were identified by comparative transcriptome analysis which exhibited elevated rates of protein evolution than unbiased genes. The female-biased genes were enriched in the production of defense compounds while male-biased genes were focused on the production of viable pollens. Transcriptomebased analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes(DEGs) between PFs and SFs in phase Ⅰ involved in abscisic acid(ABA), auxin(AUX), cytokinin(CK), ethylene(ET), and gibberellin(GA) biosynthesis and signaling showed higher expression levels in males than in females in general, whereas the DEGs involved in jasmonic acid(JA) and salicylic acid(SA) pathways displayed opposite expression patterns. Moreover,differentially expressed endogenous ABA, AUX, GAs, JA, and SA exhibited consistent biased expression patterns with the DEGs by UPLC-MSbased analysis. Exogenous application of an anti-ethylene plant growth regulator could promote the development of stamens in PFs and generated HFs. Comparative transcriptomic and hormonal analyses of PFs and SFs in phase Ⅱ indicated an increase in ET concentration when abortion of stamens in PFs occurred. This study suggested that phytohormones play key roles in sex dimorphism and ET may determine the development of stamens in PFs of mu oil tree, which provides an insight into plant sex differentiation mechanisms.展开更多
Sex differences are widely observed under various circumstances ranging from physiolog- ical processes to therapeutic responses, and a myriad of sex-biased genes have been identified. In recent years, transcriptomic d...Sex differences are widely observed under various circumstances ranging from physiolog- ical processes to therapeutic responses, and a myriad of sex-biased genes have been identified. In recent years, transcriptomic datasets of microRNAs （miRNAs）, an important class of non-coding RNAs, become increasingly accessible. However, comprehensive analysis of sex difference in miRNA expression has not been performed. Here, we identified the differentially-expressed miR- NAs between males and females by examining the transcriptomic datasets available in public data- bases and conducted a systemic analysis of their biological characteristics. Consequently, we identified 73 female-biased miRNAs （FmiRs） and 163 male-biased miRNAs （MmiRs） across four tissues including brain, colorectal mucosa, peripheral blood, and cord blood. Our results suggest that compared to FmiRs, MmiRs tend to be clustered in the human genome and exhibit higher evolutionary rate, higher expression tissue specificity, and lower disease spectrum width. In addition.functional enrichment analysis of miRNAs show that FmiR genes are significantly associated with metabolism process and cell cycle process, whereas MmiR genes tend to be enriched for functions like histone modification and circadian rhythm. In all, the identification and analysis of sex-biased miRNAs together could provide new insights into the biological differences between females and males and facilitate the exploration of sex-biased disease susceptibility and therapy.展开更多
The effect of Fuzhuan brick tea(FBT)on metabolism in obese mice is mediated by regulation of N-methyltransferase by aryl hydrocarbon receptor.The expression of the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene is ...The effect of Fuzhuan brick tea(FBT)on metabolism in obese mice is mediated by regulation of N-methyltransferase by aryl hydrocarbon receptor.The expression of the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene is regulated by many transcription factors,and those specific to this effect need further investigation.Experimental animal studies have been designed to observe the effects of a single drug or the sequential effects of drugs.A washout period should be included if different drugs(e.g.,antibiotics and FBT)are given to avoid or reduce additive effects or synergy.Currently,most experimental studies performed in mice used only male animals.However,experience has revealed that the results of using only male mice are very likely to have sex differences.展开更多
In the highly fragmented landscape of central Europe, dispersal is of particular importance as it determines the long-term survival of animal populations. Dispersal not only secures the recolonization of patches where...In the highly fragmented landscape of central Europe, dispersal is of particular importance as it determines the long-term survival of animal populations. Dispersal not only secures the recolonization of patches where populations went extinct, it may also rescue small populations and thus prevent local extinction events. As dispersal involves different individual fitness costs, the decision to disperse should not be random but context- dependent and often will be biased toward a certain group of individuals （e.g., sex- and wing morph-biased dispersal）. Although biased dispersal has far-reaching consequences for animal populations, immediate studies of sex- and wing morph-biased dispersal in orthopterans are very rare. Here, we used a combined approach of morphological and genetic analyses to investigate biased dispersal of Metrioptera bicolor, a wing dimorphic bush-cricket. Our results clearly show wing morph-biased dispersal for both sexes of M. bicolor. In addition, we found sex-biased dispersal for macropterous individuals, but not for micropters. Both, morphological and genetic data, favor macropterous males as dispersal unit of this bush-cricket species. To get an idea of the flight ability ofM. bicolor, we compared our morphological data with that of Locusta migratoria and Schistocerca gregaria, which are very good flyers. Based on our morphological data, we suggest a good flight ability for macropters of M. bicolor, although flying individuals of this species are seldom observed.展开更多
Sexual dimorphism is a widespread phenomenon in many higher animals. The genes and gene networks that underlie sex differences are poorly understood. Using microarray data we analyzed sex-related differences in the gl...Sexual dimorphism is a widespread phenomenon in many higher animals. The genes and gene networks that underlie sex differences are poorly understood. Using microarray data we analyzed sex-related differences in the global expression profiles of silkworm genes from larval to pupal stages. Sex-biased genes could be divided into three clusters. Cluster 1 contained 932 genes that showed a female-biased expression trend at first and a male-biased trend afterward. Cluster 2 included 283 male-biased genes. Cluster 3 was comprised of 497 female-biased genes that were expressed during the late pupal stage. Cluster 1 genes were found to be related closely to cuticle proteins, hormones, binding proteins, enzyme regulators, structural proteins, transcription regulators and so on. Several genes in clusters 2 and 3 were associated with spermatogenesis and oogenesis, respectively. The chromosomal distribution of sex-biased genes showed evidence of chromosomal enrichment. In particular a large number of the silkworms＇ male-biased genes are located on the Z chromosome. These results provide new insights into the molecular differences that dictate sexual dimorphism in the silkworm.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(no.82303057)Natural Science Foundation of Hubei Province of China(no.2023AFB521)“Chutian Scholars Program”of Hubei Province of China.
文摘Background:Strong sex disparities have been observed among patients with bladder cancer(BCa).FGFR3 is one of the most frequently mutated genes in bladder cancer,and there are inconsistencies in its frequency in male and female patients.Methods:Here,we conducted a meta-analysis comparing the FGFR3 somatic mutation frequency in men and women among 7351 patients with BCa from 18 cohorts.Results:We showed that female patients had a 1.32 times higher risk of having FGFR3 somatic mutations than males.This difference was attributed to mutations occurring at the 2 most frequently mutated sites,S249 and Y375.Additionally,nonsense mutations were more likely to be found in women,whereas indel/frameshift mutations were almost exclusively found in men;however,no difference was noted for missense mutations.Conclusions:A female sex bias in FGFR3 somatic mutationswas observed in BCa.Well-powered individual participant data analyses addressing the possible confounding effects of other factors(eg,age,ethnicity,smoking status,muscle invasiveness,and molecular subtype),as well as analyses integrating omics and functional investigations,are warranted to further validate and explain the mechanisms of the current findings.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.32171843)the Postgraduate Scientific Research Innovation Project of Hunan Province (Grant No.CX20200696)the Scientific Innovation Fund for Graduate of Central South University of Forestry and Technology (Grant No.CX20201003)。
文摘The mu oil tree(Vernicia montana Lour.) is a dioecious species, but the genetic mechanisms underlying its phenotypic sexual dimorphism are unclear. In this study, we determined two pivotal phases of sex differentiation of mu oil tree via morphological and histological analyses of unisexual flowers:(Ⅰ) differentiation of male or female primordia to produce staminate flowers(SFs) or transient hermaphrodite flowers(HFs),and(Ⅱ) complete abortion of stamens in transient HFs to generate pistillate flowers(PFs). A total of 1621 sex-biased genes were identified by comparative transcriptome analysis which exhibited elevated rates of protein evolution than unbiased genes. The female-biased genes were enriched in the production of defense compounds while male-biased genes were focused on the production of viable pollens. Transcriptomebased analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes(DEGs) between PFs and SFs in phase Ⅰ involved in abscisic acid(ABA), auxin(AUX), cytokinin(CK), ethylene(ET), and gibberellin(GA) biosynthesis and signaling showed higher expression levels in males than in females in general, whereas the DEGs involved in jasmonic acid(JA) and salicylic acid(SA) pathways displayed opposite expression patterns. Moreover,differentially expressed endogenous ABA, AUX, GAs, JA, and SA exhibited consistent biased expression patterns with the DEGs by UPLC-MSbased analysis. Exogenous application of an anti-ethylene plant growth regulator could promote the development of stamens in PFs and generated HFs. Comparative transcriptomic and hormonal analyses of PFs and SFs in phase Ⅱ indicated an increase in ET concentration when abortion of stamens in PFs occurred. This study suggested that phytohormones play key roles in sex dimorphism and ET may determine the development of stamens in PFs of mu oil tree, which provides an insight into plant sex differentiation mechanisms.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 81670462 and 81422006) to QCthe Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities of China (Grant No. BMU2017YJ004) to YZ (Yuan Zhou)
文摘Sex differences are widely observed under various circumstances ranging from physiolog- ical processes to therapeutic responses, and a myriad of sex-biased genes have been identified. In recent years, transcriptomic datasets of microRNAs （miRNAs）, an important class of non-coding RNAs, become increasingly accessible. However, comprehensive analysis of sex difference in miRNA expression has not been performed. Here, we identified the differentially-expressed miR- NAs between males and females by examining the transcriptomic datasets available in public data- bases and conducted a systemic analysis of their biological characteristics. Consequently, we identified 73 female-biased miRNAs （FmiRs） and 163 male-biased miRNAs （MmiRs） across four tissues including brain, colorectal mucosa, peripheral blood, and cord blood. Our results suggest that compared to FmiRs, MmiRs tend to be clustered in the human genome and exhibit higher evolutionary rate, higher expression tissue specificity, and lower disease spectrum width. In addition.functional enrichment analysis of miRNAs show that FmiR genes are significantly associated with metabolism process and cell cycle process, whereas MmiR genes tend to be enriched for functions like histone modification and circadian rhythm. In all, the identification and analysis of sex-biased miRNAs together could provide new insights into the biological differences between females and males and facilitate the exploration of sex-biased disease susceptibility and therapy.
基金Supported by General Research Project of Education Department of Zhejiang Province,No.Y2021469552019 Taizhou Science and Technology Bureau Project,No.1902ky83The Second Batch of Research Projects on Teaching Reform in the 13th Five-Year Plan of Zhejiang Province,No.Jg20190460.
文摘The effect of Fuzhuan brick tea(FBT)on metabolism in obese mice is mediated by regulation of N-methyltransferase by aryl hydrocarbon receptor.The expression of the phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase gene is regulated by many transcription factors,and those specific to this effect need further investigation.Experimental animal studies have been designed to observe the effects of a single drug or the sequential effects of drugs.A washout period should be included if different drugs(e.g.,antibiotics and FBT)are given to avoid or reduce additive effects or synergy.Currently,most experimental studies performed in mice used only male animals.However,experience has revealed that the results of using only male mice are very likely to have sex differences.
文摘In the highly fragmented landscape of central Europe, dispersal is of particular importance as it determines the long-term survival of animal populations. Dispersal not only secures the recolonization of patches where populations went extinct, it may also rescue small populations and thus prevent local extinction events. As dispersal involves different individual fitness costs, the decision to disperse should not be random but context- dependent and often will be biased toward a certain group of individuals （e.g., sex- and wing morph-biased dispersal）. Although biased dispersal has far-reaching consequences for animal populations, immediate studies of sex- and wing morph-biased dispersal in orthopterans are very rare. Here, we used a combined approach of morphological and genetic analyses to investigate biased dispersal of Metrioptera bicolor, a wing dimorphic bush-cricket. Our results clearly show wing morph-biased dispersal for both sexes of M. bicolor. In addition, we found sex-biased dispersal for macropterous individuals, but not for micropters. Both, morphological and genetic data, favor macropterous males as dispersal unit of this bush-cricket species. To get an idea of the flight ability ofM. bicolor, we compared our morphological data with that of Locusta migratoria and Schistocerca gregaria, which are very good flyers. Based on our morphological data, we suggest a good flight ability for macropters of M. bicolor, although flying individuals of this species are seldom observed.
文摘Sexual dimorphism is a widespread phenomenon in many higher animals. The genes and gene networks that underlie sex differences are poorly understood. Using microarray data we analyzed sex-related differences in the global expression profiles of silkworm genes from larval to pupal stages. Sex-biased genes could be divided into three clusters. Cluster 1 contained 932 genes that showed a female-biased expression trend at first and a male-biased trend afterward. Cluster 2 included 283 male-biased genes. Cluster 3 was comprised of 497 female-biased genes that were expressed during the late pupal stage. Cluster 1 genes were found to be related closely to cuticle proteins, hormones, binding proteins, enzyme regulators, structural proteins, transcription regulators and so on. Several genes in clusters 2 and 3 were associated with spermatogenesis and oogenesis, respectively. The chromosomal distribution of sex-biased genes showed evidence of chromosomal enrichment. In particular a large number of the silkworms＇ male-biased genes are located on the Z chromosome. These results provide new insights into the molecular differences that dictate sexual dimorphism in the silkworm.
