Zhang Yu, Bai Su Ying, Ma Yue
College of Wildlife Rescources, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
Yi Chuan. 2018 Jun 20;40(6):488-495. doi: 10.16288/j.yczz.17-409.
The muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus L.) is a seasonal breeding animal. Adult male muskrat has a pair of scent glands between the muscle and skin above the urogenital tract, which secrete muskrat musk during the breeding stage. Compared with other rodents, the muskrat prostates and seminal vesicles are very well developed throughout the breeding stage. Studies have shown that intraperitoneal injection of muskrat musk can readily promote the development of the prostates and seminal vesicles in the male mice, suggesting a tight correlation between musk secretion and the development of the prostates and seminal vesicles in the muskrat. In this study, RNA-seq technology was used to analyze the gene expression patterns were further investigated by gene ontology (GO) analysis and KEGG pathway analysis. The results showed that 1629 genes were significantly and differentially expressed and were involved in a variety of signal transductions and energy metabolism pathways. The differential expression patterns of the OBP2 gene, and members of the Bcl-2 family and tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily suggest that the prostate development in muskrat is controlled by a variety of molecular mechanisms; and the musk secreted by the muskrat scent glands might participate in the regulation of such developmental processes.
麝鼠（Ondatra zibethicus L.）是一种季节性繁殖动物。成年雄性麝鼠在泌尿生殖道上方的肌肉与皮肤之间有一对气味腺，在繁殖期会分泌麝鼠麝香。与其他啮齿动物相比，麝鼠的前列腺和精囊在整个繁殖期都发育得非常好。研究表明，腹腔注射麝鼠麝香能很容易地促进雄性小鼠前列腺和精囊的发育，这表明麝香分泌与麝鼠前列腺和精囊的发育之间存在紧密关联。在本研究中，使用RNA测序技术进行分析，并通过基因本体（GO）分析和KEGG通路分析进一步研究基因表达模式。结果显示，有1629个基因显著差异表达，且涉及多种信号转导和能量代谢途径。OBP2基因、Bcl-2家族成员和肿瘤坏死因子受体超家族的差异表达模式表明，麝鼠前列腺的发育受多种分子机制控制；麝鼠气味腺分泌的麝香可能参与了此类发育过程的调节。
