The interplay between X-chromosome functional dosage and circadian regulation in females

Biological factors and mechanisms that drive higher prevalence of insomnia in females are poorly understood. This study focused on the neurological consequences of X-chromosome functional imbalances between sexes.

Benefited from publicly available large-scale genetic, transcriptional and epigenomic data, we curated and contrasted different gene lists: (1) X-liked genes, including assignments for X-chromosome inactivation patterns and disease associations; (2) sleep-associated genes; (3) gene expression markers for the suprachiasmatic nucleus.

We show that X-linked markers for the suprachiasmatic nucleus are significantly enriched for clinically relevant genes in the context of rare genetic syndromes and brain waves modulation.

Considering female-specific patterns on brain transcriptional programs becomes essential when designing health care strategies for mental and sleep illnesses with sex bias in prevalence.