Sex drives colonic mucin sialylation in wild mice - RNAseq

Following observations that sex of wild animals is associated with the acidity of colonic mucin glycans, as determined via histology, RNA sequencing was undertaken to explore potential mechanisms driving these differences. Colonic tissue samples from 24 male mice trapped on the Isle of May in October 2019 were selected, encompassing a range of staining profiles, following Alcian Blue PAS staining of colonic tissue. Using IPA software Esr1 signalling was identified as the major upstream regulator of gene expression associated with varied mucin acidity.