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Retinal gene expression responses to aging are sexually divergent
Mei Du1, Colleen A Mangold2, Georgina V Bixler3
1Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
Molecular Vision
|October 25, 2017
Summary
Most age-related retinal gene expression changes are sexually divergent, with significant sex differences observed throughout life. These findings highlight the importance of considering sex and age in vision research.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Genomics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Sex and age are critical factors in retinal diseases.
- Preclinical models often overlook these factors, hindering research design.
- Understanding normative gene expression is crucial for informed study planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine normative mouse retina gene expression.
- To investigate sex differences and aging effects on retinal gene expression.
- To provide a resource for vision researchers.
Main Methods:
- Whole transcriptome microarray analysis of C57BL/6JN mice at 3 and 24 months.
- Comparison of gene expression between sexes and age groups.
- Confirmation of selected differences using quantitative PCR.
Main Results:
- Age-related gene expression changes showed commonalities and sexually divergent responses.
- Inflammation-related pathways were significantly affected, particularly in fibroblast, microglial, and ganglion cells.
- Lifelong and age-dependent sex differences were observed, especially in fibroblast-specific genes.
Conclusions:
- Most age-related retinal gene expression changes are sexually divergent.
- Significant sex differences exist throughout the lifespan in retinal gene expression.
- Data serve as a resource for incorporating sex and age in preclinical vision studies.
