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Updated: Aug 9, 2025
09:29
Skeletal Muscle Gender Dimorphism from Proteomics
Published on: December 14, 2011
12.6K
Sex differences in skeletal muscle-aging trajectory: same processes, but with a different ranking
Jelle C B C de Jong1,2, Brecht J Attema1, Marjanne D van der Hoek1,3,4
1Human and Animal Physiology, Wageningen University, 6700AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Geroscience
|February 23, 2023
Summary
Muscle aging impacts gene expression differently in males and females, affecting processes like oxidative phosphorylation and cell growth. Understanding these sex-specific changes is key for developing effective sarcopenia interventions.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Gerontology
- Skeletal Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Sex differences in muscle aging are not well understood.
- Optimizing sarcopenia interventions requires insight into these differences.
- Skeletal muscle aging involves complex molecular changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-specific gene expression patterns during muscle aging.
- To compare aging-related gene expression in young versus old males and females.
- To identify key molecular pathways affected by sex and age in skeletal muscle.
Main Methods:
- Recruited young and old male and female participants.
- Analyzed vastus lateralis muscle gene expression using RNA-sequencing.
- Validated findings with independent human skeletal muscle aging datasets.
Main Results:
- Gene expression profiles clearly separated sexes and age groups.
- Aging altered gene expression in the same direction for both sexes.
- The magnitude of differential gene expression was sex-specific.
- Oxidative phosphorylation was key in aging males; AKT signaling in aging females.
Conclusions:
- Skeletal muscle aging involves common molecular processes in both sexes.
- The extent of these molecular changes during aging is sex-specific.
- Identifying sex-specific pathways can refine sarcopenia treatment strategies.
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