Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitary
Abstract Background Reproduction is a complex process, which is influenced by the inheritance of many minor genes and some major genes. The pituitary gland is an important endocrine organ that regulates estrus and reproduction in sheep mainly through hormone synthesis and secretion. Previous studies...
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BMC
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11732-5 |
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| author | Xue Xiao Zhibin Ji Tong Wang Dejie Zhu Zhonghui Li Xinming Xu Fen Li |
| author_facet | Xue Xiao Zhibin Ji Tong Wang Dejie Zhu Zhonghui Li Xinming Xu Fen Li |
| author_sort | Xue Xiao |
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| description | Abstract Background Reproduction is a complex process, which is influenced by the inheritance of many minor genes and some major genes. The pituitary gland is an important endocrine organ that regulates estrus and reproduction in sheep mainly through hormone synthesis and secretion. Previous studies on reproduction traits have focused mainly on folliculogenesis and ovulation in sheep with different fecundities, and few systematic analyses of the mRNAs expressed in the pituitary have been performed. To explore the intrinsic molecular regulatory mechanisms and gene regulatory network of sheep reproductive traits, key genes affecting multiple fetal traits, such as ovulation number and litter size, were screened to provide a new reference for the study of reproduction traits in sheep. Result In this study, three healthy small-tailed Han sheep and three healthy Wadi sheep were selected respectively to form a high-reproduction group (small-tailed Han sheep, HP group) and a low-reproduction group (Wadi sheep, LP group). ONT full-length transcriptome sequencing technology was used for mRNA identification, screening, and functional analysis. A total of 7,123 DEGs were found between the two groups of sheep, including 3,551 genes that were upregulated and 3,572 genes that were downregulated in the HP group. The expression of screened genes PRKACB, MAPK1, CAMK2D, PIK3CB, GNAI3, RAC1, PTK2, ITGB1, PRKCB, MAPK10, and MAPK13 significantly differed between the HP and LP groups. GO and KEGG terms related to pituitary function and reproduction were enriched, including reproductive processes, responses to stimuli, and synapses, as well as the mTOR signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, cAMP signaling pathway, ERK1/2 signaling pathways and MAPK signaling pathways. Conclusions Our results clearly indicate that the DEGs detected were involved in the development of morphology and structure of tissues and organs, as well as the secretion of hormones in the endocrine system, which could provide a scientific basis for elucidating the genetic mechanisms of high reproduction in sheep. |
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| issn | 1471-2164 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Genomics |
| spelling | doaj-art-7fc73784a9c54dd58ed44873d0f1fdb12025-08-20T02:05:46ZengBMCBMC Genomics1471-21642025-06-0126111310.1186/s12864-025-11732-5Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitaryXue Xiao0Zhibin Ji1Tong Wang2Dejie Zhu3Zhonghui Li4Xinming Xu5Fen Li6Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Non-grain Feed Resources (Co- construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Livestock Germplasm Innovation & Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural UniversityKey Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Non-grain Feed Resources (Co- construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Livestock Germplasm Innovation & Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural UniversityKey Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Non-grain Feed Resources (Co- construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Livestock Germplasm Innovation & Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural UniversityKey Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Non-grain Feed Resources (Co- construction by Ministry and Province), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory for Livestock Germplasm Innovation & Utilization, College of Animal Science and Technology, Shandong Agricultural UniversityInstitute of Animal biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal SciencesInstitute of Animal biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal SciencesShandong Binzhou Animal Science & Veterinary Medicine AcademyAbstract Background Reproduction is a complex process, which is influenced by the inheritance of many minor genes and some major genes. The pituitary gland is an important endocrine organ that regulates estrus and reproduction in sheep mainly through hormone synthesis and secretion. Previous studies on reproduction traits have focused mainly on folliculogenesis and ovulation in sheep with different fecundities, and few systematic analyses of the mRNAs expressed in the pituitary have been performed. To explore the intrinsic molecular regulatory mechanisms and gene regulatory network of sheep reproductive traits, key genes affecting multiple fetal traits, such as ovulation number and litter size, were screened to provide a new reference for the study of reproduction traits in sheep. Result In this study, three healthy small-tailed Han sheep and three healthy Wadi sheep were selected respectively to form a high-reproduction group (small-tailed Han sheep, HP group) and a low-reproduction group (Wadi sheep, LP group). ONT full-length transcriptome sequencing technology was used for mRNA identification, screening, and functional analysis. A total of 7,123 DEGs were found between the two groups of sheep, including 3,551 genes that were upregulated and 3,572 genes that were downregulated in the HP group. The expression of screened genes PRKACB, MAPK1, CAMK2D, PIK3CB, GNAI3, RAC1, PTK2, ITGB1, PRKCB, MAPK10, and MAPK13 significantly differed between the HP and LP groups. GO and KEGG terms related to pituitary function and reproduction were enriched, including reproductive processes, responses to stimuli, and synapses, as well as the mTOR signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, cAMP signaling pathway, ERK1/2 signaling pathways and MAPK signaling pathways. Conclusions Our results clearly indicate that the DEGs detected were involved in the development of morphology and structure of tissues and organs, as well as the secretion of hormones in the endocrine system, which could provide a scientific basis for elucidating the genetic mechanisms of high reproduction in sheep.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11732-5SheepPituitaryFecundityNanopore technologyDifferential expression analysisSequencing |
| spellingShingle | Xue Xiao Zhibin Ji Tong Wang Dejie Zhu Zhonghui Li Xinming Xu Fen Li Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitary BMC Genomics Sheep Pituitary Fecundity Nanopore technology Differential expression analysis Sequencing |
| title | Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitary |
| title_full | Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitary |
| title_fullStr | Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitary |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitary |
| title_short | Investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep (Ovis aries) pituitary |
| title_sort | investigation of high fecundity genes by nanopore sequencing in sheep ovis aries pituitary |
| topic | Sheep Pituitary Fecundity Nanopore technology Differential expression analysis Sequencing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-11732-5 |
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