Jiangsu Livestock Embryo Engineering Laboratory, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Genes (Basel). 2020 Mar 17;11(3):320. doi: 10.3390/genes11030320.
Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) plays a crucial role in the hypothalamic-pituitary-testis (HPT) axis associated with sheep reproduction. The pituitary plays a connecting role in the HPT axis. However, little is known of their expression pattern and potential roles in the pituitary gland. To explore the potential lncRNAs that regulate the male sheep pituitary development and sexual maturation, we constructed immature and mature sheep pituitary cDNA libraries (three-month-old, TM, and nine-month-old, NM, respectively, n = 3) for lncRNA and mRNA high-throughput sequencing. Firstly, the expression of lncRNA and mRNA were comparatively analyzed. 2417 known lncRNAs and 1256 new lncRNAs were identified. Then, 193 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and 1407 DE mRNAs were found in the pituitary between the two groups. Moreover, mRNA-lncRNA interaction network was constructed according to the target gene prediction of lncRNA and functional enrichment analysis. Five candidate lncRNAs and their targeted genes , , , and that enriched in growth and reproduction related pathways were further filtered. Lastly, the interaction of candidate lncRNA TCONS_00066406 and its targeted gene were validated in in vitro of sheep pituitary cells. Our study provided a systematic presentation of lncRNAs and mRNAs in male sheep pituitary, which revealed the potential role of lncRNA in male reproduction.
长链非编码 RNA（lncRNA）在与绵羊生殖相关的下丘脑-垂体-睾丸（HPT）轴中发挥着至关重要的作用。垂体在 HPT 轴中起着连接作用。然而，它们在垂体中的表达模式和潜在作用知之甚少。为了探索调节绵羊垂体发育和性成熟的潜在 lncRNA，我们构建了未成熟和成熟绵羊垂体 cDNA 文库（分别为 3 个月大，TM 和 9 个月大，NM，n = 3）进行 lncRNA 和 mRNA 高通量测序。首先，比较分析了 lncRNA 和 mRNA 的表达。鉴定出 2417 个已知 lncRNA 和 1256 个新 lncRNA。然后，在两组之间的垂体中发现了 193 个差异表达（DE）lncRNA 和 1407 个 DE mRNA。此外，根据 lncRNA 的靶基因预测和功能富集分析构建了 mRNA-lncRNA 互作网络。进一步筛选了 5 个候选 lncRNA 和它们的靶向基因 、 、 、 和 ，这些基因富集在与生长和繁殖相关的途径中。最后，在绵羊垂体细胞的体外验证了候选 lncRNA TCONS_00066406 与其靶向基因 的相互作用。本研究系统地展示了雄性绵羊垂体中的 lncRNA 和 mRNAs，揭示了 lncRNA 在雄性生殖中的潜在作用。
