Tian Yu, Niu Yilin, Zhang Xinhao, Wang Tao, Tian Zhe, Zhang Xiaoyuan, Guo Jiachen, Ge Wei, Liu Shuqin, Sun Yujiang, Li Jianjun, Shen Wei, Wang Junjie, Zhang Teng
State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock (R2BGL), College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010070, China.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China.
Animals (Basel). 2025 Jun 14;15(12):1761. doi: 10.3390/ani15121761.
Donkeys () hold significant agricultural value in China, particularly for their hides and meat, which possess notable medicinal and dietary importance. However, their reproductive efficiency remains suboptimal compared with other livestock. Ovarian function is a key determinant of fertility, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying donkey ovarian biology remain largely unexplored. To address this gap, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of donkey ovaries, generating a high-resolution transcriptomic atlas comprising 17,423 cells. Cross-species comparative analysis revealed a high degree of evolutionary conservation in core ovarian cell types, including endothelial, epithelial, immune, and smooth muscle cells, among vertebrates. In contrast, granulosa and theca cells exhibited distinct transcriptional profiles across species, reflecting lineage-specific adaptations. Notably, we identified key genes with donkey-specific expression patterns, including in endothelial cells, in granulosa cells, and in theca interna cells. Furthermore, an in vitro cumulus-oocyte complex model demonstrated the critical role of in mammalian oocyte maturation. Collectively, these findings provide a comprehensive characterization of ovarian cell-type conservation and species-specific adaptations, offering key molecular insights into the mechanisms underlying cross-species differences in reproductive efficiency.
在中国，驴具有重要的农业价值，特别是它们的皮和肉，具有显著的药用和饮食价值。然而，与其他家畜相比，它们的繁殖效率仍然不理想。卵巢功能是生育能力的关键决定因素，但驴卵巢生物学的分子机制在很大程度上仍未得到探索。为了填补这一空白，我们对驴卵巢进行了单细胞RNA测序，生成了一个包含17423个细胞的高分辨率转录组图谱。跨物种比较分析显示，在脊椎动物中，卵巢核心细胞类型（包括内皮细胞、上皮细胞、免疫细胞和平滑肌细胞）具有高度的进化保守性。相比之下，颗粒细胞和卵泡膜细胞在不同物种间表现出不同的转录谱，反映了谱系特异性适应。值得注意的是，我们鉴定出具有驴特异性表达模式的关键基因，包括在内皮细胞中的 ，在颗粒细胞中的 ，以及在卵泡内膜细胞中的 。此外，一个体外卵丘-卵母细胞复合体模型证明了 在哺乳动物卵母细胞成熟中的关键作用。总的来说，这些发现全面描述了卵巢细胞类型的保守性和物种特异性适应，为跨物种繁殖效率差异背后的机制提供了关键的分子见解。
