RESUMEN
Strong epidemiological evidence now exists that sex is an important biologic variable in immunity. Recent studies, for example, have revealed that sex differences are associated with the severity of symptoms and mortality due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Despite this evidence, much remains to be learned about the mechanisms underlying associations between sex differences and immune-mediated conditions. A growing body of experimental data has made significant inroads into understanding sex-influenced immune responses. As physicians seek to provide more targeted patient care, it is critical to understand how sex-defining factors (e.g., chromosomes, gonadal hormones) alter immune responses in health and disease. In this review, we highlight recent insights into sex differences in autoimmunity; virus infection, specifically severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection; and cancer immunotherapy. A deeper understanding of underlying mechanisms will allow the development of a sex-based approach to disease screening and treatment.
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COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Caracteres Sexuales , Factores SexualesRESUMEN
Dr. Shirin Heidari is the lead author of the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines. In this interview with Dr. Isabel Goldman at Cell, she discusses her research, GENDRO, the SAGER guidelines and importance of considering sex- and gender-related variables in research, and her work on sexual and reproductive health in forced displacement.
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Identidad de Género , Equidad en Salud , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Guías como Asunto , SexoRESUMEN
Our understanding of sex and gender evolves. We asked scientists about their work and the future of sex and gender research. They discuss, among other things, interdisciplinary collaboration, moving beyond binary conceptualizations, accounting for intersecting factors, reproductive strategies, expanding research on sex-related differences, and sex's dynamic nature.
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Investigación Biomédica , Identidad de Género , Sexo , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Caracteres SexualesRESUMEN
Dr. Londa Schiebinger is an international leader on the intersection of sex, gender, and science. In this interview with Cell, she discusses the Gendered Innovations project, the persistent STEM gender gap, the importance of considering sex- and gender-related variables and intersectionality in research, and the future of sex and gender research.
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Ciencia , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Predicción , Relaciones Interpersonales , InvestigaciónRESUMEN
We examined the rate and nature of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations in humans using sequence data from 64,806 contemporary Icelanders from 2,548 matrilines. Based on 116,663 mother-child transmissions, 8,199 mutations were detected, providing robust rate estimates by nucleotide type, functional impact, position, and different alleles at the same position. We thoroughly document the true extent of hypermutability in mtDNA, mainly affecting the control region but also some coding-region variants. The results reveal the impact of negative selection on viable deleterious mutations, including rapidly mutating disease-associated 3243A>G and 1555A>G and pre-natal selection that most likely occurs during the development of oocytes. Finally, we show that the fate of new mutations is determined by a drastic germline bottleneck, amounting to an average of 3 mtDNA units effectively transmitted from mother to child.
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ADN Mitocondrial , Linaje , Humanos , ADN Mitocondrial/genética , Femenino , Islandia , Masculino , Mutación , Tasa de MutaciónRESUMEN
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) serves as a paradigm for RNA-mediated regulation of gene expression, wherein the long non-coding RNA XIST spreads across the X chromosome in cis to mediate gene silencing chromosome-wide. In female naive human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), XIST is in a dispersed configuration, and XCI does not occur, raising questions about XIST's function. We found that XIST spreads across the X chromosome and induces dampening of X-linked gene expression in naive hPSCs. Surprisingly, XIST also targets specific autosomal regions, where it induces repressive chromatin changes and gene expression dampening. Thereby, XIST equalizes X-linked gene dosage between male and female cells while inducing differences in autosomes. The dispersed Xist configuration and autosomal localization also occur transiently during XCI initiation in mouse PSCs. Together, our study identifies XIST as the regulator of X chromosome dampening, uncovers an evolutionarily conserved trans-acting role of XIST/Xist, and reveals a correlation between XIST/Xist dispersal and autosomal targeting.
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Genes Ligados a X , ARN Largo no Codificante , Cromosoma X , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Silenciador del Gen , ARN Largo no Codificante/genética , Cromosoma X/genética , Células Madre Pluripotentes/metabolismoRESUMEN
Diet impacts human health, influencing body adiposity and the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases. The gut microbiome is a key player in the diet-health axis, but while its bacterial fraction is widely studied, the role of micro-eukaryotes, including Blastocystis, is underexplored. We performed a global-scale analysis on 56,989 metagenomes and showed that human Blastocystis exhibits distinct prevalence patterns linked to geography, lifestyle, and dietary habits. Blastocystis presence defined a specific bacterial signature and was positively associated with more favorable cardiometabolic profiles and negatively with obesity (p < 1e-16) and disorders linked to altered gut ecology (p < 1e-8). In a diet intervention study involving 1,124 individuals, improvements in dietary quality were linked to weight loss and increases in Blastocystis prevalence (p = 0.003) and abundance (p < 1e-7). Our findings suggest a potentially beneficial role for Blastocystis, which may help explain personalized host responses to diet and downstream disease etiopathogenesis.
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Blastocystis , Dieta , Microbioma Gastrointestinal , Obesidad , Humanos , Blastocystis/metabolismo , Masculino , Femenino , Infecciones por Blastocystis , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Intestinos/parasitología , Intestinos/microbiología , Enfermedades Cardiovasculares/prevención & control , MetagenomaRESUMEN
To build a just, equitable, and diverse academy, scientists and institutions must address systemic barriers that sex and gender minorities face. This Commentary summarizes (1) critical context informing the contemporary oppression of transgender people, (2) how this shapes extant research on sex and gender, and (3) actions to build an inclusive and rigorous academy for all.
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Minorías Sexuales y de Género , Personas Transgénero , Masculino , Femenino , Humanos , Identidad de GéneroRESUMEN
Effective treatments for complex central nervous system (CNS) disorders require drugs with polypharmacology and multifunctionality, yet designing such drugs remains a challenge. Here, we present a flexible scaffold-based cheminformatics approach (FSCA) for the rational design of polypharmacological drugs. FSCA involves fitting a flexible scaffold to different receptors using different binding poses, as exemplified by IHCH-7179, which adopted a "bending-down" binding pose at 5-HT2AR to act as an antagonist and a "stretching-up" binding pose at 5-HT1AR to function as an agonist. IHCH-7179 demonstrated promising results in alleviating cognitive deficits and psychoactive symptoms in mice by blocking 5-HT2AR for psychoactive symptoms and activating 5-HT1AR to alleviate cognitive deficits. By analyzing aminergic receptor structures, we identified two featured motifs, the "agonist filter" and "conformation shaper," which determine ligand binding pose and predict activity at aminergic receptors. With these motifs, FSCA can be applied to the design of polypharmacological ligands at other receptors.
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Quimioinformática , Diseño de Fármacos , Polifarmacología , Animales , Ratones , Humanos , Quimioinformática/métodos , Ligandos , Receptor de Serotonina 5-HT2A/metabolismo , Receptor de Serotonina 5-HT2A/química , Receptor de Serotonina 5-HT1A/metabolismo , Receptor de Serotonina 5-HT1A/química , Masculino , Sitios de UniónRESUMEN
Interspecies blastocyst complementation (IBC) provides a unique platform to study development and holds the potential to overcome worldwide organ shortages. Despite recent successes, brain tissue has not been achieved through IBC. Here, we developed an optimized IBC strategy based on C-CRISPR, which facilitated rapid screening of candidate genes and identified that Hesx1 deficiency supported the generation of rat forebrain tissue in mice via IBC. Xenogeneic rat forebrain tissues in adult mice were structurally and functionally intact. Cross-species comparative analyses revealed that rat forebrain tissues developed at the same pace as the mouse host but maintained rat-like transcriptome profiles. The chimeric rate of rat cells gradually decreased as development progressed, suggesting xenogeneic barriers during mid-to-late pre-natal development. Interspecies forebrain complementation opens the door for studying evolutionarily conserved and divergent mechanisms underlying brain development and cognitive function. The C-CRISPR-based IBC strategy holds great potential to broaden the study and application of interspecies organogenesis.
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Prosencéfalo , Animales , Prosencéfalo/metabolismo , Prosencéfalo/embriología , Ratones , Ratas , Blastocisto/metabolismo , Femenino , Sistemas CRISPR-Cas/genética , Transcriptoma , Organogénesis , Repeticiones Palindrómicas Cortas Agrupadas y Regularmente Espaciadas/genética , Masculino , Ratones Endogámicos C57BLRESUMEN
Many behaviors require the coordinated actions of somatic and autonomic functions. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. By opto-stimulating different populations of descending spinal projecting neurons (SPNs) in anesthetized mice, we show that stimulation of excitatory SPNs in the rostral ventromedial medulla (rVMM) resulted in a simultaneous increase in somatomotor and sympathetic activities. Conversely, opto-stimulation of rVMM inhibitory SPNs decreased both activities. Anatomically, these SPNs innervate both sympathetic preganglionic neurons and motor-related regions in the spinal cord. Fiber-photometry recording indicated that the activities of rVMM SPNs correlate with different levels of muscle and sympathetic tone during distinct arousal states. Inhibiting rVMM excitatory SPNs reduced basal muscle and sympathetic tone, impairing locomotion initiation and high-speed performance. In contrast, silencing the inhibitory population abolished muscle atonia and sympathetic hypoactivity during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Together, these results identify rVMM SPNs as descending spinal projecting pathways controlling the tone of both the somatomotor and sympathetic systems.
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Bulbo Raquídeo , Médula Espinal , Sistema Nervioso Simpático , Animales , Masculino , Ratones , Locomoción/fisiología , Bulbo Raquídeo/fisiología , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Neuronas Motoras/fisiología , Neuronas/fisiología , Sueño REM/fisiología , Médula Espinal/fisiología , Sistema Nervioso Simpático/fisiología , Conducta Animal , Recuento de Células , Músculo EsqueléticoRESUMEN
Our understanding of the normal variation in the upper respiratory tract (URT) microbiota across the human lifespan and how these relate to host, environment, and health is limited. We studied the microbiota of 3,104 saliva (<10 year-olds)/oropharynx (≥10 year-olds) and 2,485 nasopharynx samples of 3,160 Dutch individuals 0-87 years of age, participating in a cross-sectional population-wide study (PIENTER-3) using 16S-rRNA sequencing. The microbiota composition was strongly related to age, especially in the nasopharynx, with maturation occurring throughout childhood and adolescence. Clear niche- and age-specific associations were found between the microbiota composition and host/environmental factors and health outcomes. Among others, social interaction, sex, and season were associated with the nasopharyngeal microbial community. By contrast, the oral microbiota was more related to antibiotics, tobacco, and alcohol use. We present an atlas of the URT microbiota across the lifespan in association with environment and health, establishing a baseline for future research.
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Microbiota , Humanos , Anciano , Preescolar , Adulto , Niño , Persona de Mediana Edad , Adolescente , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Masculino , Femenino , Lactante , Adulto Joven , ARN Ribosómico 16S/genética , Estudios Transversales , Recién Nacido , Sistema Respiratorio/microbiología , Longevidad , Nasofaringe/microbiología , Saliva/microbiología , AmbienteRESUMEN
Suspended animation states allow organisms to survive extreme environments. The African turquoise killifish has evolved diapause as a form of suspended development to survive a complete drought. However, the mechanisms underlying the evolution of extreme survival states are unknown. To understand diapause evolution, we performed integrative multi-omics (gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and lipidomics) in the embryos of multiple killifish species. We find that diapause evolved by a recent remodeling of regulatory elements at very ancient gene duplicates (paralogs) present in all vertebrates. CRISPR-Cas9-based perturbations identify the transcription factors REST/NRSF and FOXOs as critical for the diapause gene expression program, including genes involved in lipid metabolism. Indeed, diapause shows a distinct lipid profile, with an increase in triglycerides with very-long-chain fatty acids. Our work suggests a mechanism for the evolution of complex adaptations and offers strategies to promote long-term survival by activating suspended animation programs in other species.
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Diapausa , Animales , Evolución Biológica , Diapausa/genética , Embrión no Mamífero/metabolismo , Fundulidae/genética , Fundulidae/metabolismo , Regulación del Desarrollo de la Expresión Génica , Peces Killi/genética , Peces Killi/metabolismo , Metabolismo de los Lípidos/genética , Proteínas de Peces/genética , Masculino , FemeninoRESUMEN
Following the fertilization of an egg by a single sperm, the egg coat or zona pellucida (ZP) hardens and polyspermy is irreversibly blocked. These events are associated with the cleavage of the N-terminal region (NTR) of glycoprotein ZP2, a major subunit of ZP filaments. ZP2 processing is thought to inactivate sperm binding to the ZP, but its molecular consequences and connection with ZP hardening are unknown. Biochemical and structural studies show that cleavage of ZP2 triggers its oligomerization. Moreover, the structure of a native vertebrate egg coat filament, combined with AlphaFold predictions of human ZP polymers, reveals that two protofilaments consisting of type I (ZP3) and type II (ZP1/ZP2/ZP4) components interlock into a left-handed double helix from which the NTRs of type II subunits protrude. Together, these data suggest that oligomerization of cleaved ZP2 NTRs extensively cross-links ZP filaments, rigidifying the egg coat and making it physically impenetrable to sperm.
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Glicoproteínas de la Zona Pelúcida , Humanos , Masculino , Semen , Espermatozoides/química , Espermatozoides/metabolismo , Zona Pelúcida/química , Zona Pelúcida/metabolismo , Glicoproteínas de la Zona Pelúcida/química , Glicoproteínas de la Zona Pelúcida/metabolismo , Óvulo/química , Óvulo/metabolismo , FemeninoRESUMEN
Autoimmune diseases disproportionately affect females more than males. The XX sex chromosome complement is strongly associated with susceptibility to autoimmunity. Xist long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is expressed only in females to randomly inactivate one of the two X chromosomes to achieve gene dosage compensation. Here, we show that the Xist ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex comprising numerous autoantigenic components is an important driver of sex-biased autoimmunity. Inducible transgenic expression of a non-silencing form of Xist in male mice introduced Xist RNP complexes and sufficed to produce autoantibodies. Male SJL/J mice expressing transgenic Xist developed more severe multi-organ pathology in a pristane-induced lupus model than wild-type males. Xist expression in males reprogrammed T and B cell populations and chromatin states to more resemble wild-type females. Human patients with autoimmune diseases displayed significant autoantibodies to multiple components of XIST RNP. Thus, a sex-specific lncRNA scaffolds ubiquitous RNP components to drive sex-biased immunity.
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Autoanticuerpos , Enfermedades Autoinmunes , ARN Largo no Codificante , Animales , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Ratones , Autoanticuerpos/genética , Enfermedades Autoinmunes/genética , Autoinmunidad/genética , Ribonucleoproteínas/genética , Ribonucleoproteínas/metabolismo , ARN Largo no Codificante/genética , ARN Largo no Codificante/metabolismo , Cromosoma X/genética , Cromosoma X/metabolismo , Inactivación del Cromosoma X , Caracteres SexualesRESUMEN
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is best known for thermogenesis. Rodent studies demonstrated that enhanced BAT thermogenesis is tightly associated with increased energy expenditure, reduced body weight, and improved glucose homeostasis. However, human BAT is protective against type 2 diabetes, independent of body weight. The mechanism underlying this dissociation remains unclear. Here, we report that impaired mitochondrial catabolism of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) in BAT, by deleting mitochondrial BCAA carriers (MBCs), caused systemic insulin resistance without affecting energy expenditure and body weight. Brown adipocytes catabolized BCAA in the mitochondria as nitrogen donors for the biosynthesis of non-essential amino acids and glutathione. Impaired mitochondrial BCAA-nitrogen flux in BAT resulted in increased oxidative stress, decreased hepatic insulin signaling, and decreased circulating BCAA-derived metabolites. A high-fat diet attenuated BCAA-nitrogen flux and metabolite synthesis in BAT, whereas cold-activated BAT enhanced the synthesis. This work uncovers a metabolite-mediated pathway through which BAT controls metabolic health beyond thermogenesis.
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Tejido Adiposo Pardo , Aminoácidos de Cadena Ramificada , Resistencia a la Insulina , Mitocondrias , Nitrógeno , Termogénesis , Tejido Adiposo Pardo/metabolismo , Animales , Aminoácidos de Cadena Ramificada/metabolismo , Ratones , Nitrógeno/metabolismo , Mitocondrias/metabolismo , Masculino , Humanos , Metabolismo Energético , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Estrés Oxidativo , Insulina/metabolismo , Dieta Alta en Grasa , Adipocitos Marrones/metabolismo , Transducción de SeñalRESUMEN
Hypothalamic neural circuits regulate instinctive behaviors such as food seeking, the fight/flight response, socialization, and maternal care. Here, we identified microdeletions on chromosome Xq23 disrupting the brain-expressed transient receptor potential (TRP) channel 5 (TRPC5). This family of channels detects sensory stimuli and converts them into electrical signals interpretable by the brain. Male TRPC5 deletion carriers exhibited food seeking, obesity, anxiety, and autism, which were recapitulated in knockin male mice harboring a human loss-of-function TRPC5 mutation. Women carrying TRPC5 deletions had severe postpartum depression. As mothers, female knockin mice exhibited anhedonia and depression-like behavior with impaired care of offspring. Deletion of Trpc5 from oxytocin neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus caused obesity in both sexes and postpartum depressive behavior in females, while Trpc5 overexpression in oxytocin neurons in knock-in mice reversed these phenotypes. We demonstrate that TRPC5 plays a pivotal role in mediating innate human behaviors fundamental to survival, including food seeking and maternal care.
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Depresión Posparto , Neuronas , Obesidad , Canales Catiónicos TRPC , Animales , Femenino , Ratones , Obesidad/metabolismo , Obesidad/genética , Masculino , Humanos , Canales Catiónicos TRPC/metabolismo , Canales Catiónicos TRPC/genética , Depresión Posparto/metabolismo , Neuronas/metabolismo , Núcleo Hipotalámico Paraventricular/metabolismo , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Oxitocina/metabolismo , Conducta MaternaRESUMEN
A central question for regenerative neuroscience is whether synthetic neural circuits, such as those built from two species, can function in an intact brain. Here, we apply blastocyst complementation to selectively build and test interspecies neural circuits. Despite approximately 10-20 million years of evolution, and prominent species differences in brain size, rat pluripotent stem cells injected into mouse blastocysts develop and persist throughout the mouse brain. Unexpectedly, the mouse niche reprograms the birth dates of rat neurons in the cortex and hippocampus, supporting rat-mouse synaptic activity. When mouse olfactory neurons are genetically silenced or killed, rat neurons restore information flow to odor processing circuits. Moreover, they rescue the primal behavior of food seeking, although less well than mouse neurons. By revealing that a mouse can sense the world using neurons from another species, we establish neural blastocyst complementation as a powerful tool to identify conserved mechanisms of brain development, plasticity, and repair.
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Neuronas , Animales , Ratones , Ratas , Neuronas/metabolismo , Neuronas/citología , Neuronas/fisiología , Blastocisto/metabolismo , Blastocisto/citología , Células Madre Pluripotentes/citología , Células Madre Pluripotentes/metabolismo , Encéfalo/citología , Encéfalo/fisiología , Femenino , Hipocampo/citología , Hipocampo/fisiología , Especificidad de la Especie , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , MasculinoRESUMEN
The vasculature of the central nervous system is a 3D lattice composed of laminar vascular beds interconnected by penetrating vessels. The mechanisms controlling 3D lattice network formation remain largely unknown. Combining viral labeling, genetic marking, and single-cell profiling in the mouse retina, we discovered a perivascular neuronal subset, annotated as Fam19a4/Nts-positive retinal ganglion cells (Fam19a4/Nts-RGCs), directly contacting the vasculature with perisomatic endfeet. Developmental ablation of Fam19a4/Nts-RGCs led to disoriented growth of penetrating vessels near the ganglion cell layer (GCL), leading to a disorganized 3D vascular lattice. We identified enriched PIEZO2 expression in Fam19a4/Nts-RGCs. Piezo2 loss from all retinal neurons or Fam19a4/Nts-RGCs abolished the direct neurovascular contacts and phenocopied the Fam19a4/Nts-RGC ablation deficits. The defective vascular structure led to reduced capillary perfusion and sensitized the retina to ischemic insults. Furthermore, we uncovered a Piezo2-dependent perivascular granule cell subset for cerebellar vascular patterning, indicating neuronal Piezo2-dependent 3D vascular patterning in the brain.
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Cerebelo , Neuronas , Retina , Animales , Femenino , Masculino , Ratones , Cerebelo/metabolismo , Cerebelo/irrigación sanguínea , Cerebelo/citología , Canales Iónicos/metabolismo , Ratones Endogámicos C57BL , Neuronas/metabolismo , Retina/citología , Retina/metabolismo , Células Ganglionares de la Retina/metabolismo , Vasos Retinianos/metabolismoRESUMEN
Platelet dysregulation is drastically increased with advanced age and contributes to making cardiovascular disorders the leading cause of death of elderly humans. Here, we reveal a direct differentiation pathway from hematopoietic stem cells into platelets that is progressively propagated upon aging. Remarkably, the aging-enriched platelet path is decoupled from all other hematopoietic lineages, including erythropoiesis, and operates as an additional layer in parallel with canonical platelet production. This results in two molecularly and functionally distinct populations of megakaryocyte progenitors. The age-induced megakaryocyte progenitors have a profoundly enhanced capacity to engraft, expand, restore, and reconstitute platelets in situ and upon transplantation and produce an additional platelet population in old mice. The two pools of co-existing platelets cause age-related thrombocytosis and dramatically increased thrombosis in vivo. Strikingly, aging-enriched platelets are functionally hyper-reactive compared with the canonical platelet populations. These findings reveal stem cell-based aging as a mechanism for platelet dysregulation and age-induced thrombosis.