Affiliation:
1. State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
2. College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
Abstract
Litter size is an economically important trait in sheep, and it is a complex trait controlled by multiple genes in multiple organs. Among them, the regulation of lamb number trait by the thyroid gland is a very important part. However, the molecular mechanisms of the thyroid gland in sheep reproduction remain unclear. Here, RNA-seq was used to detect transcriptome expression patterns in the thyroid gland between follicular phase (FP) and luteal phase (LP) in FecB BB (MM) and FecB ++ (ww) STH sheep, respectively, and to identify differentially expressed circRNAs (DECs) associated with reproduction. Bioinformatic analysis of the source genes of these DECs revealed that they can be enriched in multiple signaling pathways involved in the reproductive process of animals. We found that the source genes of these DECs, such as GNAQ, VEGFC, MAPK1, STAT1, and HSD17B7, may play important roles in the reproductive process of animals. To better understand the function of these DECs, we constructed circRNA–miRNA co-expression networks. Dual luciferase reporter assays suggested that a ceRNA regulatory mechanism between circ_0003259-oar-miR-133-TXLNA and circ_0012128-oar-miR-370-3p-FGFR1 may hold. All of these DEC expression profiles in the thyroid gland provide a novel resource for elucidating the regulatory mechanisms underlying STH sheep prolificacy.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA
Central Public-Interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund
Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of China
Open Project of Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Animal Genetic Breeding and Molecular Design
General Project of Shanxi Province Basic Research Program
Subject
General Veterinary,Animal Science and Zoology
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