Pang Xin, Pan Yangyang, Wang Meng, Qiu Shantong, He Yulong, Ren Yuchun, Yu Tianjun, Yu Sijiu, Cui Yan
College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, China.
Gansu Innovation Centre for Livestock Embryo Engineering and Technology, Lanzhou, China.
BMC Genomics. 2025 Apr 29;26(1):418. doi: 10.1186/s12864-025-11594-x.
This study investigates differences in reproductive performance, testicular histology, and transcriptomic profiles between male Subei (SB; semi-wild) yaks and two domestic yaks, Gannan (GN) and Qinghai (QH). Key metrics including mating age, utilization time, breeding capacity, morphometric traits, and testicular indices were analyzed. SB yaks exhibited superior reproductive metrics, including earlier sexual maturity, prolonged utilization periods, and enhanced breeding capacity compared to GN and QH (P < 0.05). Morphologically, SB yaks demonstrated significantly greater body weight, and testicular dimensions. Compared with GN and QH yaks, the seminiferous tubules of SB yaks exhibited significantly larger spermatogenic cells and luminal cavities, along with a notably higher sperm density within the luminal cavity. Transcriptomic analysis identified 2,403 and 4,428 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GN vs. SB and QH vs. SB comparisons, respectively. Eight key genes (TPPP3, SMAD3, PAFAH1B3, BMP7, ARSA, CTNNB1, SMAD4, STAT3) and three pathways (Hippo, pluripotency regulation, TGF-β) were implicated in testicular development and spermatogenesis. These findings underscore the genetic and physiological advantages of SB yaks, offering insights for enhancing male yak reproductive performance.
本研究调查了雄性苏北（SB；半野生）牦牛与两种家养牦牛甘南（GN）和青海（QH）在繁殖性能、睾丸组织学和转录组图谱方面的差异。分析了包括交配年龄、利用时间、繁殖能力、形态特征和睾丸指数在内的关键指标。与GN和QH相比，SB牦牛表现出更优的繁殖指标，包括性成熟更早、利用期更长和繁殖能力更强（P < 0.05）。在形态上，SB牦牛的体重和睾丸尺寸明显更大。与GN和QH牦牛相比，SB牦牛的生精小管表现出明显更大的生精细胞和管腔，并且管腔内的精子密度显著更高。转录组分析分别在GN与SB以及QH与SB的比较中鉴定出2403个和4428个差异表达基因（DEG）。八个关键基因（TPPP3、SMAD3、PAFAH1B3、BMP7、ARSA、CTNNB1、SMAD4、STAT3）和三条通路（Hippo、多能性调控、TGF-β）与睾丸发育和精子发生有关。这些发现强调了SB牦牛的遗传和生理优势，为提高雄性牦牛的繁殖性能提供了见解。
