The immune system, tasked with safeguarding the body from external threats such as bacteria and viruses, occasionally becomes overly vigilant, mistakenly attacking its tissues. A recent study, titled "Xist ribonucleoproteins promote female sex-biased autoimmunity" published in Cell, offers insight into the elevated risk of autoimmune diseases in women.
The research illuminates a molecule produced by the X chromosome in every female cell, which can generate antibodies targeting a woman's tissues. This discovery sheds light on the heightened susceptibility of women to autoimmune disorders, providing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms behind these conditions.
Metaphase chromosomes from a female human fibroblast, stained with DAPI, fluorescence microscopy.
The Dual-X Challenge Women Face
Between 24 and 50 million Americans suffer from autoimmune diseases, where the immune system attacks the body's tissues, with 4 out of 5 being women. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and scleroderma show significant female predominance, with ratios such as 9 to 1 for lupus and 19 to 1 for Sjogren's syndrome.
Stanford Medicine researchers, led by Dr. Howard Chang, have linked this gender disparity to a fundamental biological feature unique to females, offering a potential means of predicting autoimmune disorders before their onset.
Women's dual X chromosomes present a unique biological challenge, setting them apart in the mammalian world. In contrast, men carry a single X chromosome, accompanied by the smaller Y chromosome.
While life can thrive without the simpler Y chromosome, lacking the X chromosome is essential for the survival of every mammalian cell, housing numerous vital protein-specifying genes.
This dual-X challenge is met with a sophisticated solution: X-chromosome inactivation, preventing the potential lethal overproduction of proteins specified by the X chromosome.
Early in embryogenesis, each cell in a developing female mammal autonomously decides to deactivate one of its two X chromosomes, and this decision is passed down to its descendant cells in the growing fetus. Consequently, the same amount of X-chromosome-specified proteins is produced in a female cell as in a male cell, maintaining equilibrium.
Interestingly, the researchers found that X-chromosome inactivation can contribute to autoimmune disorders, although other factors may also play a role, explaining why these disorders can occasionally manifest in men. This intricate dance of genetics sheds light on the delicate balance required in the complex interplay of X chromosomes, offering insights into the development of autoimmune conditions.
READ ALSO: Autoimmune Disease 101: Experts Discuss 3 Surprising Facts About Autoimmunity
Unraveling the Role of X-Chromosome Inactivation in Autoimmunity Risk
The Xist molecule, crucial for X-chromosome inactivation, is encoded by the Xist gene present on all X chromosomes, including the lone X in male cells. Its production is exclusive to matched XX pairs, where it is deployed on a single member of the pair.
In their experiment, researchers introduced the Xist gene into two distinct strains of male mice- one prone to autoimmune symptoms resembling lupus and the other resistant to such manifestations.
This approach allowed them to observe the immune system's response to Xist when only a single X chromosome was present, eliminating external factors like female hormones or inadvertent protein production from a second X chromosome meant to be silenced, which could contribute to high autoimmunity rates in cisgender women.
Activated Xist gene in autoimmune-susceptible male mice led to lupus-like autoimmunity rates similar to females and higher than non-engineered males, while autoimmune-resistant males showed insufficient disease development, emphasizing the role of Xist proteins and genetic predispositions in heightened autoimmune risk for individuals with two X chromosomes.
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