Paternally expressed gene 3 (Pw1/Peg3) promotes sexual dimorphism in metabolism and behavior.
Karo TanakaVanessa BessonManon RivagordaFranck OuryGiovanna MarazziDavid A SassoonPublished in: PLoS genetics (2022)
The paternally expressed gene 3 (Pw1/Peg3) is a mammalian-specific parentally imprinted gene expressed in stem/progenitor cells of the brain and endocrine tissues. Here, we compared phenotypic characteristics in Pw1/Peg3 deficient male and female mice. Our findings indicate that Pw1/Peg3 is a key player for the determination of sexual dimorphism in metabolism and behavior. Mice carrying a paternally inherited Pw1/Peg3 mutant allele manifested postnatal deficits in GH/IGF dependent growth before weaning, sex steroid dependent masculinization during puberty, and insulin dependent fat accumulation in adulthood. As a result, Pw1/Peg3 deficient mice develop a sex-dependent global shift of body metabolism towards accelerated adiposity, diabetic-like insulin resistance, and fatty liver. Furthermore, Pw1/Peg3 deficient males displayed reduced social dominance and competitiveness concomitant with alterations in the vasopressinergic architecture in the brain. This study demonstrates that Pw1/Peg3 provides an epigenetic context that promotes male-specific characteristics through sex steroid pathways during postnatal development.
Keyphrases
- drug delivery
- insulin resistance
- type diabetes
- adipose tissue
- copy number
- mental health
- genome wide
- high fat diet induced
- healthcare
- gene expression
- traumatic brain injury
- dna methylation
- preterm infants
- intensive care unit
- multiple sclerosis
- high fat diet
- metabolic syndrome
- signaling pathway
- cell proliferation
- physical activity
- cerebral ischemia
- molecularly imprinted
- solid phase extraction
- binding protein
- mass spectrometry
- growth hormone
- transcription factor
- blood brain barrier
- genome wide identification