Sex hormones may explain these differences, as estrogen and androgen receptors affect mitochondrial function in female and male β cells.53,54 However, since differences between islets from non-diabetic and T2D donors were present outside of the in vivo hormonal environment, cell autonomous factors, such as the sexually dimorphic sex chromosomes genes described above are more likely to be involved in these differences. The gene discussed is AR; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.