Figure 2.

Differential analysis reveals age and sex dimorphism in ECs. (A) A comparison of density plots of differential gene expression reveals the expression of the majority of genes was not significantly different in ECs isolated from males and females for both age groups (log fold change <1). Genes up-regulated in male mice plotted in aqua. Genes up-regulated in female mice plotted in red. (B) Venn diagram showing 590 and 252 genes that are differentially expressed (adjusted p < 0.05) between females and males in the 3 and 18 month group, respectively. Of those genes that are differentially expressed, there are 59 shared genes that are differentially expressed between the sexes in both age groups. (C) The most statistically upregulated genes with the largest fold-change in males at 3 months were: Lars2, GSN, Clec4g, DCN, and Dnase1l3 at 3 months. The most statistically upregulated genes with the largest fold-change in males at 18 months was S100a9, S100a8, and Retnlg. The most statistically significant genes with the larges fold change include Xist, Ddx3x, and Cfh, which are upregulated in females, and S1009, S1008, and Retinlg, which are upregulated in males at 3 months (left). The most statistically significant genes with the larges fold change include H2Ab1, Ppp1r16b, and Tmem100B in females and Dnase1l3, Clec4g, Lars2, GSN, and DCN in males at 18 months (right). (D) Heat map showing the expression levels of 50 genes with the largest fold difference between males and females at 3 months (top) and 18 months (bottom). Of the 50 top genes, the following three genes have the largest fold difference and shared between the young and old group (highlighted in red): Cd74, DDx3y, and Icam2.