Open Access

Sex-related gene expression profiles in the adrenal cortex in the mature rat: Microarray analysis with emphasis on genes involved in steroidogenesis

  • Authors:
    • Marcin Trejter
    • Anna Hochol
    • Marianna Tyczewska
    • Agnieszka Ziolkowska
    • Karol Jopek
    • Marta Szyszka
    • Ludwik K. Malendowicz
    • Marcin Rucinski
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 9, 2015     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2064
  • Pages: 702-714
  • Copyright: © Trejter et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY_NC 3.0].

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Abstract

Notable sex-related differences exist in mammalian adrenal cortex structure and function. In adult rats, the adrenal weight and the average volume of zona fasciculata cells of females are larger and secrete greater amounts of corticosterone than those of males. The molecular bases of these sex-related differences are poorly understood. In this study, to explore the molecular background of these differences, we defined zone- and sex-specific transcripts in adult male and female (estrous cycle phase) rats. Twelve-week-old rats of both genders were used and samples were taken from the zona glomerulosa (ZG) and zona fasciculata/reticularis (ZF/R) zones. Transcriptome identification was carried out using the Affymetrix® Rat Gene 1.1 ST Array. The microarray data were compared by fold change with significance according to moderated t-statistics. Subsequently, we performed functional annotation clustering using the Gene Ontology (GO) and Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). In the first step, we explored differentially expressed transcripts in the adrenal ZG and ZF/R. The number of differentially expressed transcripts was notably higher in the female than in the male rats (702 vs. 571). The differentially expressed genes which were significantly enriched included genes involved in steroid hormone metabolism, and their expression levels in the ZF/R of adult female rats were significantly higher compared with those in the male rats. In the female ZF/R, when compared with that of the males, prevailing numbers of genes linked to cell fraction, oxidation/reduction processes, response to nutrients and to extracellular stimuli or steroid hormone stimuli were downregulated. The microarray data for key genes involved directly in steroidogenesis were confirmed by qPCR. Thus, when compared with that of the males, in the female ZF/R, higher expression levels of genes involved directly in steroid hormone synthesis were accompanied by lower expression levels of genes regulating basal cell functions.
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March-2015
Volume 35 Issue 3

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Trejter M, Hochol A, Tyczewska M, Ziolkowska A, Jopek K, Szyszka M, Malendowicz LK and Rucinski M: Sex-related gene expression profiles in the adrenal cortex in the mature rat: Microarray analysis with emphasis on genes involved in steroidogenesis. Int J Mol Med 35: 702-714, 2015
APA
Trejter, M., Hochol, A., Tyczewska, M., Ziolkowska, A., Jopek, K., Szyszka, M. ... Rucinski, M. (2015). Sex-related gene expression profiles in the adrenal cortex in the mature rat: Microarray analysis with emphasis on genes involved in steroidogenesis. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 35, 702-714. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2064
MLA
Trejter, M., Hochol, A., Tyczewska, M., Ziolkowska, A., Jopek, K., Szyszka, M., Malendowicz, L. K., Rucinski, M."Sex-related gene expression profiles in the adrenal cortex in the mature rat: Microarray analysis with emphasis on genes involved in steroidogenesis". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 35.3 (2015): 702-714.
Chicago
Trejter, M., Hochol, A., Tyczewska, M., Ziolkowska, A., Jopek, K., Szyszka, M., Malendowicz, L. K., Rucinski, M."Sex-related gene expression profiles in the adrenal cortex in the mature rat: Microarray analysis with emphasis on genes involved in steroidogenesis". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 35, no. 3 (2015): 702-714. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2015.2064