identify sex in a FASTA RNA-Seq file

Question

[pinheirofabiano]

I have selected some human RNA-Seq datasets for investigation (raw data), but I don't know the sex of the sample, if it's a sample from a man or from a woman. What can I do to identify the sex?

Answer 1

[Radu Tanasa]

You can use tools like https://github.com/SexChrLab/SexInference, or you can look at sex specific genes. Male samples typically show expression of Y chromosome-specific genes like SRY and RPS4Y1, while female samples will not show any expression for these genes. XIST is a reliable marker for female samples for example. Males generally do not express XIST, while females do.