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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Interpersonal aggression as a function of subject's sex, subject's sex role identification, opponent's sex, and degree of provocation.

Ninety-five undergraduates served as subjects in an experiment where they could administer electric shock to an opponent and receive the same from an opponent. The independent variables were subject's sex, subject's sex role identification (as measured by the Bem Sex Role Inventory), opponent's sex, as well as degree of provocation from the opponent. Aggression was defined as level of shock chosen by the subject for the opponent. The results indicated that masculine subjects facing a male opponent were more aggressive than individuals of other sex role identifications whether or not they were provoked. It was also found that masculine males were more aggressive than other males or anyof the females. Furthermore, opponent's sex influenced the males' aggressiveness but had no effect on the degree of aggression in females. Finally, aggression increased in all subjects following increases in provocation. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for pyschological androgyny.

Aggression↗
PubMed2025

Influence of Gonadal and Chromosomal Sex on the Brain Transcriptome in a Mouse Species with Natural Sex Reversal.

Sex chromosomes are expected to play a role in shaping the transcriptional architecture of sexual dimorphism, through the direct expression of sex-linked genes, by regulating autosomal genes, or in interactions with hormones. Yet, their degree of involvement remains elusive partly because chromosomal sex (e.g. XX/XY) and gonadal sex (ovaries or testes) are usually inextricably intertwined. They are, however, dissociated in the African pygmy mouse, Mus minutoides, in which a feminizing X (X*) has evolved, resulting in three female genotypes (XX, XX*, and X*Y) and one male genotype (XY). Furthermore, all sex chromosomes are fused to autosomes (neo-sex chromosomes: neo-X, neo-X* and neo-Y). Despite complete sex reversal, X*Y females show distinctive phenotypes with greater fertility, divergent maternal care strategies, and the masculinization of some traits (e.g. enhanced aggressiveness). By comparing the brain transcriptome of the four sexual genotypes, we show that differential gene expression is mainly linked to gonadal sex but also, and significantly, to chromosomal sex. Genes influenced by chromosomal sex are overrepresented on sex-linked genomic regions, and some are strong candidates to explain X*Y-specific behavioral and reproductive traits. Our results also suggest the preferential inactivation of the X* chromosome in XX* females, only in the brain, which could explain their trait similarities with XX females. Overall, we show that sex and neo-sex chromosomes have profoundly impacted the brain transcriptome in ways that reflect their new transmission modes, evolutionary trajectories, and resulting genomic conflicts.

Animals↗
PubMed2026

A pan-cancer single-cell atlas uncovers the role of sex hormones and chromosomes in sex-divergent reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment.

BACKGROUND: Sex bias is pervasive in tumors; however, how sex chromosomes and hormone-responsive signaling shape the tumor microenvironment (TME) remains insufficiently characterized. Considering the critical impact of the TME on tumor progression and response to immunotherapy, a pan-cancer investigation of sex-specific and cancer-context-dependent TME features is warranted. METHOD: Based on stringent inclusion criteria, we constructed a high-resolution pan-cancer single-cell sequencing atlas by integrating 31 publicly available single-cell RNA-seq datasets, comprising a total of 1,831,436 cells by integrating 468 samples from eight types of non-sex-specific solid tumors (282 males and 186 females). After correcting for batch effects, we identified major and minor cellular subsets. Multiple computational approaches were applied to investigate sex-associated differences in cellular composition, gene expression, pathway activity, malignant cell states and intercellular communication. RESULTS: We systematically compared sex-specific TME features across eight common solid malignancies. Male-biased CD8+ T cell exhaustion emerged as a recurrent but non-uniform feature, with its magnitude varying across cancer types and being modified by tissue-specific contexts. This pattern was associated with androgen-response signature scores and expression-based loss of the Y chromosome (LOY) scores. M2-like macrophage polarization showed a more cancer-type-dependent pattern; although female-biased enrichment was observed in selected malignancies, it did not represent a uniform pan-cancer feature. Expression-based X chromosome inactivation (XCI)/XCI escape-related programs, estrogen-response signature scores and stromal components, including fibroblasts and endothelial cells, were associated with macrophage and immune-regulatory states in specific tumor contexts. Tumor cells of male origin displayed higher genomic instability and more aggressive phenotypes, with androgen-response signatures and LOY contributing to the development of a male biased malignant state. Furthermore, expression-based LOY scores in malignant cells were associated with CD8+ T cell exhaustion based on transcriptomic proxies. CONCLUSION: Our study uncovers extensive but heterogeneous sex-specific differences in the TME across multiple cancer types. We propose a regulatory framework linking sex chromosomes, hormone-responsive signaling and TME interactions, which is consistent with recurrent male-biased CD8⁺ T cell exhaustion and context-dependent M2-like macrophage polarization. Importantly, the magnitude and, in some cancers, the direction of these sex-biased features are modified by tissue-specific contexts. These findings underscore the need to include sex chromosome and hormone status as essential biological variables in studies of the tumor microenvironment and the design of immunotherapies.

Tumor Microenvironment↗
PubMed2024

The role of mitochondria in sex- and age-specific gene expression in a species without sex chromosomes.

Mitochondria perform an array of functions, many of which involve interactions with gene products encoded by the nucleus. These mitochondrial functions, particularly those involving energy production, can be expected to differ between sexes and across ages. Here, we measured mitochondrial effects on sex- and age-specific gene expression in parental and reciprocal F1 hybrids between allopatric populations of Tigriopus californicus with over 20% mitochondrial DNA divergence. Because the species lacks sex chromosomes, sex-biased mitochondrial effects are not confounded by the effects of sex chromosomes. Results revealed pervasive sex differences in mitochondrial effects, including effects on energetics and aging involving nuclear interactions throughout the genome. Using single-individual RNA sequencing, sex differences were found to explain more than 80% of the variance in gene expression. Males had higher expression of mitochondrial genes and mitochondrially targeted proteins (MTPs) involved in oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), while females had elevated expression of non-OXPHOS MTPs, indicating strongly sex-dimorphic energy metabolism at the whole organism level. Comparison of reciprocal F1 hybrids allowed insights into the nature of mito-nuclear interactions, showing both mitochondrial effects on nuclear expression, and nuclear effects on mitochondrial expression. While based on a small set of crosses, sex-specific increases in mitochondrial expression with age were associated with longer life. Network analyses identified nuclear components of strong mito-nuclear interactions and found them to be sexually dimorphic. These results highlight the profound impact of mitochondria and mito-nuclear interactions on sex- and age-specific gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Sex selection with biased technologies and its effect on the population sex ratio.

Current biomedical research on sex selection techniques may soon offer couples the opportunity to choose the sex of their children with greater certainty. A technique planned for marketing by mid-1978 can increase the probability of bearing a son to as much as 0.90. However, couples who wish to improve their chances of bearing a daughter have no such opportunity. The purpose of this paper is two-fold. First, a decision-making model is provided which describes how couples should choose among alternative sex-selection methods so as to maximize the probability of bearing their desired number of sons and daughters. Second, the effect of the widespread use of sex-selection techniques on the population sex ratio is explored. It is shown that even if populations have unbiased sex preferences, or sex preferences biased towards daughters, the use of biased sex-selection technologies may result in very high population sex ratios.

Belgium↗
PubMed1977

Influence of fetal sex on the concentration of amniotic fluid testosterone: antenatal sex determination?

Amniotic fluid testosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay in 226 samples taken between the 12th week of pregnancy and birth. The effect of fetal sex on the level of this androgen was determined and the usefulness of the parameter for predicting fetal sex assessed. Testosterone was measured using an antibody raised in rabbits against testosterone-3-carboxymethyloxime-BSA. The antiserum cross-reacted strongly with 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone so that the values reported were refered to as measuring "immunoreactive testosterone" levels. Male fetal values were highest between the 12th and 15th week of pregnancy reaching a maximum mean of 501 +/- 185 pg/ml gradually falling during the remainder of pregnancy to 281 +/- 74 pg/ml, the difference in values between the first half and the end of pregnancy being highly significant (p less than 0.0005). Female fetal values did not vary significantly during the course of gestation, the minimum mean value being 179 +/- 50 and maximum 253 +/- 98 pg/ml. The fetal amniotic fluid sex difference was highly significant during the first half of pregnancy (p less than 0.0005) and at 12-15 weeks a successful prediction of fetal sex was possible, using testosterone, in 39 out of 41 cases. At birth on the other hand there was no difference between male and female fetal fluid levels. The method can also be used to detect disturbances of intrauterine sexual development as exemplified by the case of a Klinefelter syndrome where female testosterone values were found at the time of sexual differentiation. Thus the measurement of unconjugated testosterone in amniotic fluid would seem to offer not only an addition to chromosomal analysis for prediction of fetal gender but also be a valuable tool for detection of disturbances of intrauterine sexual development i.e. when genetic sex and sex-specific hormone production are discrepant.

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMed2026

Sex pheromone communication and its regulation by the sex determination pathway in cockroaches.

Sexual communication in animals orchestrates a series of interactive behaviors from locating and recognizing potential partners to courtship and final mating decisions and is thus critical for sexual reproduction and population fitness. Highly efficient communication between the sexes requires not only the production and emission of species-specific signals but also their precise detection and interpretation by the receiving individuals. Cockroaches, as one of the most evolutionarily ancient and successful group of insects, are quintessential chemical communicators that rely heavily on sex pheromones for sexual communication. They have long served as excellent model organisms in studies of chemical ecology. Although the biochemical characterization of sex pheromones in several species was largely accomplished during the last century, the past two decades have witnessed remarkable progress in understanding the molecular genetics of sex pheromone communication and its regulation, particularly driven by functional genomics. This review first provides an updated comparative survey of the pheromone components identified across distinct taxa. We then synthesize, but not limited to, recent advances in identification of key molecules controlling sex pheromone production, characterization of candidate chemosensory receptors and their neural processing pathways, and the regulatory roles of the sex determination cascade in shaping sexually dimorphic traits in both pheromone production and perception. Finally, we highlight key scientific questions that remain unsolved and propose future directions aimed at extending our mechanistic understanding of cockroach pheromone communication, as well as at developing behavior-based pest management strategies.

biosynthetic pathway↗
PubMed1975

[On the sex chromatin and sex chromatin-like nuclear structures in human Purkinje-cells].

INTRODUCTION: Animal experiments have shown that in the course of chromatolysis the nuclear sex chromatin of nerve cells of female mammals changes its customary location at the nucleolus and migrates to the nuclear membrane; moreover, in the nuclei of nerve cells of males there occur under similar conditions nuclear structures which resemble the sex chromatin. It was, therefore, thought of interest to see if similar findings also apply to human Purkinje-cells. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The cerebellum of 100 female and 52 male corpses of various ages was examined. Paraffin sections, 2-5 mum thick, were stained with haemalumeosin and, after hydrolysis by hydrochloric acid, with cresyl violet of Schiff's reagent (Feulgen stain). In each cerebellum 100 Purkinje-cells, whose nuclei showed a well developed nucleolus and an obvious Barr body, were studied. In the cerebellum of 29 female corpses the cells examined showed a marked cytoplasmic chromatolysis; in the Purkinje-cells of the remaining 71 female, and of all the male corpses the stage of chromatolysis was classified according to the degree of dissolution of the Nissl bodies as "feeble", "marked", or as the stage of restitution, characterized by nuclear caps. RESULTS: The sex chromatin was seen as a, mainly, round and compact chromocenter with a maximal diameter of 0.6--1.6 mum. The larger Barr bodies were seen more frequently, if chromatolysis in the corresponding cells was marked. With increasing chromatolysis the Barr body, which usually occupies a perinucleolar location, tended to be found more often at or near the nuclear membrane. In the cerebellum of the males 17.4% of the Purkinje cells studied showed heteropyknotic nuclear structures which could not always be distinguished in size or in appearance from a sex chromatin. They occupied predominantly a perinuclear position. but with increasing chromatolysis they too were seen more frequently in a location which tended to be intermediary or near the nuclear membrane. Not infrequently the nuclei simultaneously presented a granular hyperchromatosis. DISCUSSION: The change in the location of the sex chromatin in the nucleus is considered to be associated with compensatory processes following chromatolysis. These in turn are accompanied by an intranuclear current of materials, such as RNA, towards the periphery of the nucleus, or by changed electric potentials which develop in the affected cells. The variations in size of the Barr body should be attributed to a variable condensation of the corresponding X-chromosome, rather than to polyploidy of the nerve cell nuclei. The sex chromatin-like chromocenters, which are seen in "male" Purkinje-cells in the course of chromatolysis, could be attributed to certain chromosomal segments which have a tendency to heterochromasia...

Cell Nucleolus↗
PubMed1978

Relationships among three components of self-concept and same-sex and opposite-sex human figure drawings.

In an extension of previous studies, 88 presumably normal Ss were given the Draw-A-Person Test and were asked to make Semantic Differential ratings of their same-sex and opposite-sex figure drawings, as well as their real, ideal, and least-liked selves. Significant positive correlations were found between same-sex figure ratings and ratings of both real self and ideal self, and there was a significant negative correlation between ratings of same-sex figure drawings and ratings of least-liked self. There were no significant correlations between ratings of opposite-sex figure drawings and actual, ideal, or least-liked self ratings. Thus a significant relationship among three components of self-concept and normal Ss' perceptions of their human figure drawings emerged, but only for same-sex figures.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Machover revisited: impact of sex-role orientation on sex sequence on the draw-a-person test.

A significant relationship was obtained between sex of first figure drawn on the Draw-A-Person test and sex-role orientation, as operationalized by scores on the Bem Sex-role Inventory of 76 males and 93 female introductory psychology students. The most striking finding was that most of the women who drew the opposite-sex figure first were "feminine." To the extent that sex-role orientations can be empirically amalgamated with sex sequence, subsequent theory and research into clinical and diagnostic use of human figure drawings would increase in precision.

Female↗
PubMed1979

[Seasonal fluctuations in the sex ratio of new borns and the influence of the declining birth rate on the sex ratio (author's transl)].

Seasonal fluctuations in the sex ratio of new borns are investigated. The largest predominance of male deliveries over female deliveries was found to be during the conception months May-June with an almost constant number of deliveries. The highest value was in June. Seasonal maximum of the male to female sex ratio is concomitant to the seasonal maximum of conceptions. The investigation of the yearly sex ratio from 1958-1978 showed changes in the secondary sex ratio concomitant to the increase or decrease of the delivery rate. When the delivery rate decreased below 10 deliveries by 1000 population a reverse in the sex ratio was noted and the lowest number of male deliveries was found. This occurred although the number of first deliveries increased further with the decrease of multiparities. The reasons for this reverse trend in the sex ratio are discussed and a possible relationship to preceeding oral contraception is mentioned.

Birth Rate↗
PubMed1978

Genetic studies of acute infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA type I). An analysis of sex ratios, segregation ratios, and sex influence.

An analysis of segregation and sex ratios, and of sex influence, was undertaken in a series of 78 index patients with acute infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA type I). The sex ratio of index patients was 2.0, and the excess of males was shown to occur principally among sporadic cases. The sex ratio of familial cases did not differ significantly from 1.0. The implications of this are discussed. No sex influence on age at onset, or on life expectancy, was present. The segregation ratio (Weinberg Proband method) was 0.29 for all index cases, and 0.26 for all cases excluding those referred specifically to a genetic counselling clinic. Autosomal recessivity is confirmed for this disease, with the probable inclusion of unrecognised male phenocopies in clinical series.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1978

Sex-role self-perceptions and sex-role stereotypes.

827 undergraduate students, 549 males and 278 females, responded to a set of 18 questions relating to individual self-perceptions. A second group of 35 males and 29 females responded to the questions in terms of population sex-role stereotypes for both sexes. It was hypothesized that the sexes would demonstrate convergence in self-perceptions when compared with their sex-role stereotypes. The results tended to support the hypothesis, with females demonstrating a greater deviation from the traditional sex-role stereotypes than males. The possible relationship to much publicized social movements was noted.

Behavior↗
PubMed1979

Concentrations of sex hormones in umbilical-cord blood: their relation to sex and birth order of infants.

In 3 groups of human newborns, 5 sex hormones were assayed from samples of umbilical-cord blood, and concentrations were analyzed by the sex and birth order of the infants. The 5 hormones assayed were testosterone, androstenedione, estrone, estradiol, and progesterone. Concentrations of testosterone were significantly greater in males than females. The other 4 hormones did not differ significantly by sex. In both sexes, firstborns had significantly more progesterone and estrogens, with progesterone showing the largest birth-order effects. Among male infants, firstborns had higher concentrations of testosterone. The higher concentrations of progesterone in firstborns of both sexes, and of testosterone in firstborn boys, were found not to be due to length of labor, birth weight, or maternal age. However, they were a function of temporal spacing of childbirths. Later borns who were closely spaced in relation to their next-older siblings had lower concentrations of hormones. The effect of temporal separation was greater on male than female infants for each of the 5 hormones studied. The results are discussed in terms of the possible effects of hormone "depletion" on the psychological development of closely spaced later borns.

Androstenedione↗
PubMed1979

Sex differences in response to hepatitis B virus. III. Responses to HBV and sex of donor and recipient in kidney and bone marrow transplantation.

We proposed the hypothesis that there is an antigen on the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that cross-reacts with a male associated antigen to explain four observations: 1) sex differences in the responses to HBV infection, 2) sex differences in the prevalence of chronic liver diseases associated with hepatitis B, 3) the association of parental responses to HBV with the sex ratio (at birth) of their offspring, and 4) the relation of kidney graft survival with the combination of anti-HBs in the recipients and the sex of the organ donor. Patients with aplastic anemia treated with bone marrow transplantation from HLA identical sibling donors were studied to further test this hypothesis and the results provide additional support. Cross reactivity of HBsAg with H-Y antigen, however, has not been demonstrated.

Anemia, Aplastic↗
PubMed1978

[Human sex ratio and sex-related selection at birth].

Sex ratio in 11,500 infants died at different perinatal periods (antenatal, intranatal and postnatal) is studied. Sex ratio in these periods is: 107 male : 100 female; 136 male : 100 female; 168 male : 100 female respectively; differences at each period are statistically significant (alpha less than 0.001). A change in differential sex-linked mortality is observed at perinatal period. High mortality in males, which is characteristic of human postnatal ontogenesis, manifests distinctly from the moment of passing on to extrauterine life.

Female↗