To validate key RNA-seq findings, we re-isolated RNA from lung macrophages of infected mice and performed qRT-PCR analysis of selected genes of interest shown by RNA-seq as significantly altered between the sexes during infection, including Ighg1, Il1b, Ctsc, Cacna1c, Lamp2, Ulk1, Tubb1, Adra1a, and Col9a1 (Fig. 4c and d). The gene discussed is COL9A1; the disease is infection.