Ovarian proteomic study reveals the possible molecular mechanism for hyperprolificacy of Small Tail Han sheep

Abstract

Small Tail Han sheep is a widely bred farm animal in China which has attracted lots of attention due to their high prolificacy and year-round estrus. However, the molecular mechanism of its fecundity remains unrevealed. The FecB gene polymorphism has been found to be associated with the ovulation rate and litter size of sheep. In the present study, we constructed an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics analysis to compare the ovarian proteomes of FecB+FecB+ genotype Small Tail Han sheep ewes (Han ++), FecBBFecBB Han ewes (Han BB) and Dorset ewes (Dorset). Hundreds of differentially expressed proteins between each two groups were identified; GO and KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the expressions of those proteins involved in ribosome assembly, protein translation and mTOR pathway between Dorset and both Han groups were highly different. Between Han ++ and Han BB groups, higher level of protein expressions were related to mitochondrial oxidation functions such as oxidoreductase activity, cytochrome-c oxidase activity and electron carrier activity. This was identified in Han BB group, which may contribute to the elevated ovulation rate of Han BB ewes. In conclusion, our work provided a prospective understanding of the molecular mechanism for high prolificacy of Small Tail Han sheep.

An Integrated Analysis of miRNAs and Methylated Genes Encoding mRNAs and lncRNAs in Sheep Breeds with Different Fecundity

“…An excellent local breed in the Shandong province in north China is the Small Tail Han sheep (Han sheep), and in the United States, Dorset sheep are the most prevalent white-faced breed (Miao et al, 2015a , b , 2016b ). Several fecundity genes in sheep have been identified to explain the underlying genetic mechanism, including growth and differentiation factor-9 (GDF9), bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP15) and BMP receptor-1B (BMPR1B) (Cemal et al, 1996 ; Fabre et al, 2006 ).…”

“…An excellent local breed in the Shandong province in north China that is a rich source of meat is the Small Tail Han sheep (Han sheep). Dorset sheep, which originated in England and are the most prevalent white-faced breed in the United States, have a medium body size with robust muscle conformation (Miao et al, 2015a , 2016b ). Even though Dorset sheep grows faster than Han sheep, Dorset sheep has a comparatively lower prolificacy (1.45 in Dorset vs. 2.61 in Han sheep) (Tu et al, 1989 ; Freking et al, 2000 ).…”

“…These two breeds also differ in their fat deposition patterns (Miao et al, 2015c , d ). Within the Han breed, Han BB genotype produce 1.4 more lambs more than the Han ++ sheep (Miao et al, 2015b , 2016b ). We further constructed co-expression networks using the mRNA-miRNA and mRNA-lncRNA pairs that were associated with sheep breeding to examine the patterns of interaction among the genes with their associated co-expressed miRNAs and lncRNAs.…”

Ovarian transcriptomic study reveals the differential regulation of miRNAs and lncRNAs related to fecundity in different sheep

“…Therefore, sheep prolificacy has been focused on for a long time. Small Tail Han sheep is a Chinese breed with hyperprolificacy but a slower growth rate 1 2 . Dorset sheep are widely bred in the US with a rapid growth rate but low prolificacy 3 4 5 6 .…”

Application of Some Proteome Analysis Techniques in Animal Reproduction

“…Another example could relate to the understanding of hyperprolificacy in sheep. Using a proteomic approach, it was determined that a low level of ribosome-related proteins in the follicular fluid with isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification-based proteomics was associated to high ovulation rate in Han sheep [10]. In addition, the follicular fluid provides a microenvironment for nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of the oocytes.…”