title: Inverted expression profiles of sex-biased genes in response to toxicant perturbations and diseases.
abstract: The influence of sex factor is widely recognized in various diseases, but its molecular basis, particularly how sex-biased genes, those with sexually dimorphic expression, behave in response to toxico-pathological changes is poorly understood. In this study, zebrafish toxicogenomic data and transcriptomic data from human pathological studies were analysed for the responses of male- and female-biased genes. Our analyses revealed obvious inverted expression profiles of sex-biased genes, where affected males tended to up-regulate genes of female-biased expression and down-regulate genes of male-biased expression, and vice versa in affected females, in a broad range of toxico-pathological conditions. Intriguingly, the extent of these inverted profiles correlated well to the susceptibility or severity of a given toxico-pathological state, suggesting that inverted expression profiles of sex-biased genes observed in this study can be used as important indicators to assess biological disorders.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge, Singapore. zencyung@gmail.com
authors: Choong Yong
authors: CY
authors: Ung
authors: Siew Hong
authors: SH
authors: Lam
authors: Xun
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Hu
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Louxin
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Baowen
authors: B
authors: Li
authors: Zhiyuan
authors: Z
authors: Gong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002877:Chromosomes, Human / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D004194:Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D043922:Toxicogenetics; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*