Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
Department of Genomics, Branch for Northwest and West Region, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tabriz, Iran.
Anim Biotechnol. 2022 Apr;33(2):223-233. doi: 10.1080/10495398.2020.1784185. Epub 2020 Jul 7.
The expression of genes and their regulation during lactation in Ghezel sheep breed remains less understood. To explore the underlying molecular mechanism of the lactation process in the mammary gland, transcriptome profiles of Iranian fat-tailed Ghezel sheep breed milk at two stages, before (BF) and after peak (AF) stages of lactation were investigated. Functional impacts of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between BF and AF stages were surveyed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network analysis. Totally, 75 DEGs were identified between BF and AF stages of lactation. The RNA-Seq results were validated by Q-RT-PCR. Gene ontology of DEGs mainly enriched in metabolic process and oxidative phosphorylation. PPI network analysis also highlighted the contribution of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR) signaling, oxidative phosphorylation and metabolic pathways in the lactation process. Intriguingly, the genes involved in fat metabolism dominantly down-regulated at AF stage. Our results provide new insight into transcriptional changes and add to growing body of knowledge on the lactation process in fat-tailed sheep breeds.
格尔扎绵羊哺乳期基因表达及其调控机制尚不清楚。为了探索乳腺泌乳过程的潜在分子机制，本研究对伊朗脂肪尾格尔扎绵羊泌乳期两个阶段（泌乳前（BF）和泌乳高峰（AF））的乳汁转录组谱进行了研究。通过基因本体论（GO）和蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用（PPI）网络分析，调查了 BF 和 AF 阶段之间差异表达基因（DEGs）的功能影响。总共鉴定出 75 个 BF 和 AF 阶段之间的 DEGs。通过 Q-RT-PCR 对 RNA-Seq 结果进行了验证。DEGs 的基因本体论主要富集在代谢过程和氧化磷酸化中。PPI 网络分析还强调了过氧化物酶体增殖物激活受体（PPAR）信号、氧化磷酸化和代谢途径在泌乳过程中的作用。有趣的是，参与脂肪代谢的基因在 AF 阶段显著下调。我们的研究结果为转录变化提供了新的见解，并为脂肪尾绵羊品种的泌乳过程增加了越来越多的知识。
