Xuan Rong, Peng Yanan, Wang XinKun, Li Wei, Huang QiaoYan, Sun HuiPing, Zhu LeXiao, Gu RuoHuai, Xing Feng
Key Laboratory of Livestock and Forage Resources Utilization around Tarim, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, Xinjiang, China.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Sep 2;12:1594040. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1594040. eCollection 2025.
Pubertal estrus in sheep is crucial for reproductive maturation, with the hypothalamus playing a key role in its regulation. While long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have gained attention for their involvement in the nervous system, their specific role in regulating pubertal estrus remains unclear.
This study performed transcriptome sequencing on hypothalamic tissues from Dolang sheep at pre-pubertal, pubertal, and post-pubertal stages. Identified lncRNAs were characterized based on genomic features, differential expression, potential cis-regulatory targets, and ceRNA relationships.
A total of 1,589 lncRNAs were identified, including 848 known and 741 novel lncRNAs, with intergenic lncRNAs being most abundant. The majority of lncRNAs were 200-2000 nucleotides in length and contained 2-5 exons. A total of 129 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified, with the highest differential expression between puberty and post-puberty. Cis-regulation analysis suggested that lncRNAs regulate genes involved in estrogen biosynthesis, dopamine transport, glycolipid metabolism, and nervous system development. LncRNAs may also impact reproductive hormone signaling, including the estrogen signaling pathway and gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pathways, influencing growth, gonadal development, and sex hormone production. Specifically, ceRNA relationships such as LOC101105119-oar-miR-106b-GNAQ and LOC105607217-oar-miR-370-3p-PRKCA were validated.
Overall, this study demonstrates that lncRNAs regulate pubertal estrus initiation through ceRNA networks (e.g., LOC101105119-miR-106b-GNAQ) and hormone signaling, particularly the GnRH pathway, offering potential targets for sheep breeding.
绵羊的青春期发情对于生殖成熟至关重要，下丘脑在其调节中起关键作用。虽然长链非编码RNA（lncRNA）因其参与神经系统而受到关注，但其在调节青春期发情中的具体作用仍不清楚。
本研究对多浪羊青春期前、青春期和青春期后阶段的下丘脑组织进行了转录组测序。根据基因组特征、差异表达、潜在的顺式调控靶点和ceRNA关系对鉴定出的lncRNA进行了表征。
共鉴定出1589个lncRNA，包括848个已知lncRNA和741个新的lncRNA，其中基因间lncRNA最为丰富。大多数lncRNA长度为200-2000个核苷酸，包含2-5个外显子。共鉴定出129个差异表达的lncRNA，青春期和青春期后之间的差异表达最高。顺式调控分析表明，lncRNA调节参与雌激素生物合成、多巴胺转运、糖脂代谢和神经系统发育的基因。lncRNA还可能影响生殖激素信号传导，包括雌激素信号通路和促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）通路，影响生长、性腺发育和性激素产生。具体而言，验证了如LOC101105119-oar-miR-106b-GNAQ和LOC105607217-oar-miR-370-3p-PRKCA等ceRNA关系。
总体而言，本研究表明lncRNA通过ceRNA网络（如LOC101105119-miR-106b-GNAQ）和激素信号传导，特别是GnRH通路调节青春期发情启动，为绵羊育种提供了潜在靶点。
