Department of Physiological Science, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2009 Dec;20(10):471-6. doi: 10.1016/j.tem.2009.06.007. Epub 2009 Sep 23.
Females and males differ in physiology and in the incidence and progression of diseases. The sex-biased proximate factors causing sex differences in phenotype include direct effects of gonadal hormones and of genes represented unequally in the genome because of their X- or Y-linkage. Novel systems approaches have begun to assess the magnitude and character of sex differences in organization of gene networks on a genome-wide scale. These studies identify functionally related modules of genes that are coexpressed differently in males and females, and sites in the genome that regulate gene networks in a sex-specific manner. Measurement of the aggregate behavior of genes uncovers novel sex differences that can be related more effectively to susceptibility to disease.
女性和男性在生理结构以及疾病的发病率和进展方面存在差异。导致表型性别差异的近因因素包括性腺激素的直接作用,以及由于 X 或 Y 连锁而在基因组中表达不均等的基因。新的系统方法已开始评估基因网络在全基因组范围内组织上的性别差异的程度和特征。这些研究确定了功能相关的基因模块,这些模块在男性和女性中的表达方式不同,以及基因组中以性别特异性方式调节基因网络的位点。对基因的综合行为的测量揭示了新的性别差异,可以更有效地与疾病易感性相关联。