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Liu M, Chen J, Zhang C, Liu S, Chao X, Yang H, Muhammad A, Zhou B, Ao W, Schinckel AP. Deciphering Estrus Expression in Gilts: The Role of Alternative Polyadenylation and LincRNAs in Reproductive Transcriptomics. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:791. [PMID: 38473176 DOI: 10.3390/ani14050791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The fertility rate and litter size of female pigs are critically affected by the expression of estrus. The objective of this study was to elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of estrus expression by analyzing the differential expression of genes and long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNA), as well as the utilization of alternative polyadenylation (APA) sites, in the vulva and vagina during the estrus and diestrus stages of Large White and indigenous Chinese Mi gilts. Our study revealed that the number of differentially expressed genes (DEG) in the vulva was less than that in the vagina, and the DEGs in the vulva were enriched in pathways such as "neural" pathways and steroid hormone responses, including the "Calcium signaling pathway" and "Oxytocin signaling pathway". The DEGs in the vagina were enriched in the "Metabolic pathways" and "VEGF signaling pathway". Furthermore, 27 and 21 differentially expressed lincRNAs (DEL), whose target genes were enriched in the "Endocrine resistance" pathway, were identified in the vulva and vagina, respectively. Additionally, we observed that 63 and 618 transcripts of the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR) were lengthened during estrus in the vulva and vagina, respectively. Interestingly, the genes undergoing APA events in the vulva exhibited species-specific enrichment in neural or steroid-related pathways, whereas those in the vagina were enriched in apoptosis or autophagy-related pathways. Further bioinformatic analysis of these lengthened 3'-UTRs revealed the presence of multiple miRNAs binding sites and cytoplasmic polyadenylation element (CPE) regulatory aspects. In particular, we identified more than 10 CPEs in the validated lengthened 3'-UTRs of the NFIX, PCNX4, CEP162 and ABHD2 genes using RT-qPCR. These findings demonstrated the involvement of APA and lincRNAs in the regulation of estrus expression in female pigs, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying estrus expression in pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzheng Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Jiahao Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Chunlei Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Shuhan Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaohuan Chao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Huan Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Asim Muhammad
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Bo Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Weiping Ao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar 843300, China
| | - Allan P Schinckel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA
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Liu M, Zhang C, Chen J, Xu Q, Liu S, Chao X, Yang H, Wang T, Muhammad A, Schinckel AP, Zhou B. Characterization and analysis of transcriptomes of multiple tissues from estrus and diestrus in pigs. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 256:128324. [PMID: 38007026 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
A comprehensive understanding of the complex regulatory mechanisms governing estrus and ovulation across multiple tissues in mammals is imperative to improve the reproductive performance of livestock and mitigate ovulation-related disorders in humans. To comprehensively elucidate the regulatory landscape, we analyzed the transcriptome of protein-coding genes and long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) in 58 samples (including the hypothalamus, pituitary, ovary, vagina, and vulva) derived from European Large White gilts and Chinese Mi gilts during estrus and diestrus. We constructed an intricate regulatory network encompassing 358 hub genes across the five examined tissues. Furthermore, our investigation identified 85 differentially expressed lincRNAs that are predicted to target 230 genes associated with critical functions including behavior, receptors, and apoptosis. Importantly, we found that vital components of estrus and ovulation events involve "Apoptosis" pathway in the hypothalamus, "Autophagy" in the ovary, as well as "Hypoxia" and "Angiogenesis" in the vagina and vulva. We have identified several differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs), such as SPI1 and HES2, which regulate these pathways. SPI1 may suppress transcription in the autophagy pathway, promoting apoptosis and inhibiting the proliferation of ovarian granulosa cells. Our study provides the most comprehensive transcriptional profiling information related to estrus and ovulation events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingzheng Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Chunlei Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Jiahao Chen
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Qinglei Xu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Shuhan Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Xiaohuan Chao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Huan Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Tianshuo Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Asim Muhammad
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
| | - Allan P Schinckel
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2054, USA.
| | - Bo Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
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Chang C, He X, Di R, Wang X, Han M, Liang C, Chu M. Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Differentially Expressed circRNAs Associated with Fecundity in Small-Tail Han Sheep Thyroid with Different FecB Genotypes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 14:105. [PMID: 38200837 PMCID: PMC10777913 DOI: 10.3390/ani14010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China; (C.C.); (X.H.); (R.D.); (X.W.)
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China;
| | - Xiaoyun He
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China; (C.C.); (X.H.); (R.D.); (X.W.)
| | - Ran Di
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China; (C.C.); (X.H.); (R.D.); (X.W.)
| | - Xiangyu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China; (C.C.); (X.H.); (R.D.); (X.W.)
| | - Miaoceng Han
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China;
| | - Chen Liang
- College of Animal Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China;
| | - Mingxing Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China; (C.C.); (X.H.); (R.D.); (X.W.)
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Shen Q, Gong W, Pan X, Cai J, Jiang Y, He M, Zhao S, Li Y, Yuan X, Li J. Comprehensive Analysis of CircRNA Expression Profiles in Multiple Tissues of Pigs. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16205. [PMID: 38003395 PMCID: PMC10671760 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are a class of non-coding RNAs with diverse functions, and previous studies have reported that circRNAs are involved in the growth and development of pigs. However, studies about porcine circRNAs over the past few years have focused on a limited number of tissues. Based on 215 publicly available RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) samples, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of circRNAs in nine pig tissues, namely, the gallbladder, heart, liver, longissimus dorsi, lung, ovary, pituitary, skeletal muscle, and spleen. Here, we identified a total of 82,528 circRNAs and discovered 3818 novel circRNAs that were not reported in the CircAtlas database. Moreover, we obtained 492 housekeeping circRNAs and 3489 tissue-specific circRNAs. The housekeeping circRNAs were enriched in signaling pathways regulating basic biological tissue activities, such as chromatin remodeling, nuclear-transcribed mRNA catabolic process, and protein methylation. The tissue-specific circRNAs were enriched in signaling pathways related to tissue-specific functions, such as muscle system process in skeletal muscle, cilium organization in pituitary, and cortical cytoskeleton in ovary. Through weighted gene co-expression network analysis, we identified 14 modules comprising 1377 hub circRNAs. Additionally, we explored circRNA-miRNA-mRNA networks to elucidate the interaction relationships between tissue-specific circRNAs and tissue-specific genes. Furthermore, our conservation analysis revealed that 19.29% of circRNAs in pigs shared homologous positions with their counterparts in humans. In summary, this extensive profiling of housekeeping, tissue-specific, and co-expressed circRNAs provides valuable insights into understanding the molecular mechanisms of pig transcriptional expression, ultimately deepening our understanding of genetic and biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingpeng Shen
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Wentao Gong
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xiangchun Pan
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jiali Cai
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yao Jiang
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
- School of Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6149, Australia
| | - Mingran He
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Shanghui Zhao
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Yipeng Li
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Xiaolong Yuan
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
| | - Jiaqi Li
- Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; (Q.S.); (W.G.); (X.P.); (J.C.); (Y.J.); (M.H.); (S.Z.); (Y.L.)
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