Deletion of adrenocortical Bmal1 results in sex-biased gene expression.

We report that deletion of BMAL1 from adrenocortical cells using a SCC(Cyp11a1)-Cre driver reults in elevated plasma corticosterone in female, but not in male mice, following submaximal stress stimulation. RNA sequencing of adrenal glands from control and experimental animals was adopted to identify sex-dependent differences in gene expression that may explain the augmented corticosterone response specifically in female mice. Examination of the effect of BMAL1 inactivation in female and male adrenals.