Sex differences in DNA methylation in bats.

ABSTRACT: Sex-biased longevity is observed across a wide range of animal taxa, including bats, for reasons not well understood. Patterns of cytosine methylation vary predictably with age in many organisms, offering a valuable means to investigate differences in patterns of aging at the molecular level. We tested sex differences in cytosine methylation across 14 bat species and compared patterns of age-associated variation. Sex differences were overrepresented on the X chromosome, showing a strong pattern of female hypermethylation within promoter regions. Sex- and age-associated differences in methylation were nonrandomly distributed with respect to proximity to putative sex hormone receptor binding sites, with sites hypermethylated in males and females tending to be underrepresented near androgen a

SUBMITTER: Rayner JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12380122 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature