Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 7, 2026
08:23
Single Cell Transcriptional Profiling of Adult Mouse Cardiomyocytes
Published on: December 28, 2011
17.4K
The Core Circadian Clock Factor, Bmal1, Transduces Sex-specific Differences in Both Rhythmic and Nonrhythmic Gene
Xiping Zhang1, Spencer B Procopio1, Haocheng Ding2
1Department of Physiology and Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA.
Function (Oxford, England)
|December 10, 2024
Summary
Male and female mouse hearts show distinct circadian gene expression patterns. Cardiomyocyte-specific Bmal1 loss significantly reduces these sex differences, highlighting its role in cardiac sex-specific gene regulation.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Biology
- Chronobiology
- Molecular Genetics
Background:
- Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) show sex-based disparities.
- Disrupted circadian rhythms are linked to CVD development.
- Sex differences in the cardiac circadian clock remain poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate sex-specific differences in the mouse cardiac circadian transcriptome.
- Determine the role of the core circadian clock factor Bmal1 in sex-specific cardiac gene expression.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of cardiac circadian transcriptomes in male and female mice.
- Conditional knockout of Bmal1 in adult cardiomyocytes.
- RNA sequencing to assess gene expression changes.
Main Results:
- Cardiac circadian transcriptomes are highly sex-specific, with more rhythmically expressed genes (REGs) in females.
- Loss of cardiomyocyte Bmal1 diminished sex differences in REGs and overall gene expression between sexes.
- Sex-specific regulation of cardiac transcription factors (Gata4, Nkx2-5, Tbx5) was observed.
Conclusions:
- Cardiomyocyte-specific Bmal1 is crucial for sex-specific gene expression in the adult mouse heart.
- The circadian clock plays a significant role in mediating sex differences in cardiac biology.
Related Concept Videos
02:19The Y Chromosome Determines Maleness
7.0K
The Y chromosome is a sex chromosome found in several vertebrates and mammals, including humans. In addition to 22 pairs of autosomes, the human males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. In these organisms, the presence or absence of the Y chromosome determines the development of male traits.
Evolution
Around 300 million years ago, the two sex chromosomes diverged from two identical autosomal chromosomes. Over time, the Y chromosome has lost most of its genes, shrinking in size....
Evolution
Around 300 million years ago, the two sex chromosomes diverged from two identical autosomal chromosomes. Over time, the Y chromosome has lost most of its genes, shrinking in size....
7.0K
02:45The Ratio of X Chromosome to Autosomes
11.6K
In most organisms, sex is determined by the ratio of X and Y chromosomes. However, in some organisms, such as Drosophila and C.elegans, sex is determined by the ratio of the number of X chromosomes to the number of sets of autosomes. The Y chromosome in Drosophila is active but does not determine sex. It contains genes responsible for the production of sperms in adult flies.
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
Normal male Drosophila has a ratio of one X chromosome to two sets of autosomes. In contrast, normal female...
11.6K
02:19Circadian Rhythms and Gene Regulation
3.4K
The biological clock is involved in many aspects of regulating complex physiology in all animals. It was in 1935 when German zoologists, Hans Kalmus and Erwin Bünning, discovered the existence of circadian rhythm in Drosophila melanogaster. However, the internal molecular mechanisms behind the circadian clock remained a mystery until 1984, when Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young discovered the expression of the Per gene oscillating over a 24-hour cycle. In subsequent...
3.4K