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ImmGen report: sexual dimorphism in the immune system transcriptome
Shani Talia Gal-Oz1, Barbara Maier2, Hideyuki Yoshida3,4
1Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Nature Communications
|September 22, 2019
Summary
Male and female mammals exhibit distinct immune responses, with females showing a stronger innate immunity. This study reveals that macrophages are key to these sex differences, particularly after interferon stimulation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Genomics
- Mammalian Biology
Background:
- Sexual dimorphism impacts mammalian immune systems, leading to sex-specific disease prevalences (e.g., infections in males, autoimmunity in females).
- Underlying molecular mechanisms for these sex-based immune differences remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-based differences in the mammalian immune system at the molecular level.
- To identify specific immune cell types and pathways contributing to sexual dimorphism.
Main Methods:
- Utilized RNA sequencing and ATAC sequencing to profile immune cells from male and female mice.
- Examined both untreated and interferon-stimulated immune cell types across multiple tissues.
Main Results:
- Identified minimal transcriptional differences between male and female immune cells, with notable exceptions in macrophages from three distinct tissues.
- Observed limited sex-based differences in genomic accessibility.
- Found that transcriptional sexual dimorphism in macrophages is primarily linked to innate immune genes and is amplified by interferon stimulation.
Conclusions:
- Sexual dimorphism in the immune system is largely driven by macrophages and innate immune pathways.
- Females may possess a more robust innate immune response due to pre-existing pathway activation, potentially explaining their stronger defense against pathogens.
