College of Animal Science and Technology, Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, China.
Key Laboratory of Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment (Ministry of Education), College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China.
Sci Rep. 2021 Nov 18;11(1):22510. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-01817-y.
Ovulation rate is an extremely important factor affecting litter size in sows. It differs greatly among pig breeds with different genetic backgrounds. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can regulate follicle development, granulosa cell growth, and hormone secretion, which in turn can affect sow litter size. In this study, we identified 3554 lncRNAs and 25,491 mRNAs in M2 follicles of Meishan and Duroc sows. The lncRNA sequence and open reading frame lengths were shorter than mRNAs, and lncRNAs had fewer exons, were less abundant, and more conserved than protein-coding RNAs. Furthermore, 201 lncRNAs were differentially expressed (DE) between breeds, and quantitative trait loci analysis of DE lncRNAs were performed. A total of 127 DE lncRNAs were identified in 119 reproduction trait-related loci. In addition, the potential target genes of lncRNAs in cis or trans configurations were predicted. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that some potential target genes were involved in follicular development and hormone secretion-related biological processes or pathways, such as progesterone biosynthetic process, estrogen metabolic process, ovarian steroidogenesis, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Furthermore, we also screened 19 differentially expressed lncRNAs in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway as candidates. This study provides new insights into the roles of lncRNAs in follicular growth and development in pigs.
排卵率是影响母猪产仔数的一个极其重要的因素。不同遗传背景的猪品种之间排卵率差异很大。长链非编码 RNA（lncRNA）可以调节卵泡发育、颗粒细胞生长和激素分泌，进而影响母猪产仔数。本研究在梅山猪和杜洛克猪的 M2 卵泡中鉴定到 3554 个 lncRNA 和 25491 个 mRNA。lncRNA 的序列和开放阅读框长度短于 mRNA，lncRNA 的外显子较少，丰度较低，与编码蛋白的 RNA 相比保守性较低。此外，两个品种间有 201 个 lncRNA 表达存在差异（DE），并对 DE lncRNA 进行了数量性状座位分析。在 119 个与繁殖性状相关的基因座中鉴定到 127 个 DE lncRNA。此外，还预测了 lncRNA 在顺式或反式结构中的潜在靶基因。GO 功能和 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes 通路分析表明，一些潜在的靶基因参与卵泡发育和激素分泌相关的生物学过程或通路，如孕激素生物合成过程、雌激素代谢过程、卵巢类固醇生成和 PI3K-Akt 信号通路。此外，我们还筛选了 PI3K-Akt 信号通路中 19 个差异表达的 lncRNA 作为候选物。本研究为 lncRNA 在猪卵泡生长和发育中的作用提供了新的见解。
