Pituitary Transcriptomic Study Reveals the Differential Regulation of lncRNAs and mRNAs Related to Prolificacy in Different FecB Genotyping Sheep

Abstract

Long non-coding RNA (LncRNA) have been identified as important regulators in the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis associated with sheep prolificacy. However, their expression pattern and potential roles in the pituitary are yet unclear. To explore the potential mRNAs and lncRNAs that regulate the expression of the genes involved in sheep prolificacy, we used stranded specific RNA-seq to profile the pituitary transcriptome (lncRNA and mRNA) in high prolificacy (genotype FecB BB, litter size = 3; H) and low prolificacy sheep (genotype FecB B+; litter size = 1; L). Our results showed that 57 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs and 298 DE mRNAs were found in the pituitary between the two groups. The qRT-PCR results correlated well with the RNA-seq results. Moreover, functional annotation analysis showed that the target genes of the DE lncRNAs were significantly enriched in pituitary function, hormone-related pathways as well as response to stimulus and some other terms related to reproduction. Furthermore, a co-expression network of lncRNAs and target genes was constructed and reproduction related genes such as SMAD2, NMB and EFNB3 were included. Lastly, the interaction of candidate lncRNA MSTRG.259847.2 and its target gene SMAD2 were validated in vitro of sheep pituitary cells. These differential mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles provide a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying Hu sheep prolificacy.

Integrated analysis of long non-coding RNA and mRNA expression in endometrial stromal cells induced by poly (I:C) identifies immune response genes

“…The lncRNA, MSTRG.259847.2, cis-regulates its target gene, SMAD2, which is an important regulator of pituitary function and reproduction that interacts with GDF9 and FSHβ to affect FSH synthesis [33].…”

Genome-Wide Analysis and Function Prediction of Long Noncoding RNAs in Sheep Pituitary Gland Associated with Sexual Maturation

“…Several lncRNAs such as LNC_001056, LNC_000322 and LNC_000207 were associated with hormone secretion and pituitary gland development [31]. Fifty-seven DE lncRNAs and 298 DE mRNAs were found between high prolificacy and low prolificacy female sheep pituitary, the potential role of candidate lncRNA MSTRG.259847.2 and its target gene SMAD2 were investigated in sheep pituitary cells in vitro [32]. Moreover, the sexual maturity period is a key point for male animals, and the differential expression pattern of lncRNAs in immature and mature rat pituitary have been detected and there are 1181 significantly DE lncRNAs transcripts that were identified [33].…”

“…To verify the interaction relationship of candidate DE lncRNAs and its targeted genes, sheep pituitary cells were isolated and identified using two-step enzymatic digestion and immunofluorescence staining of FSH (Bioss, bs-1536R; Beijing, China,), respectively based on the previous research [32]. The siRNA of lncRNA TCONS_00066406 was synthesized by the GenePharma company, Shanghai, China.…”

Exploring the roles of fecundity-related long non-coding RNAs and mRNAs in the adrenal glands of small-tailed Han Sheep

“…lncRNAs are RNAs of > 200 nucleotides in length. Studies have shown that lncRNAs play important roles in many life activities, such as dose-compensation effects, epigenetic regulation, cell cycle regulation, cell differentiation and regulation, and have become a hot research topic in genetics [3][4][5][6]. For example, Yang et al (2018) identified differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in the testes of prepubertal and mature rams that were enriched in spermatogenetic and male gonadal developmental signaling pathways [5].…”

“…For example, Yang et al (2018) identified differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs in the testes of prepubertal and mature rams that were enriched in spermatogenetic and male gonadal developmental signaling pathways [5]. Zheng (2019) analyzed the pituitaries of Hu sheep with high and low fertility and found 57 differentially expressed lncRNAs and 298 differentially expressed mRNAs [6]. Miao et al (2016Miao et al ( , 2017 analyzed the ovaries of Small-tailed Han and Dorset sheep strains and found that differentially expressed lncRNAs were significantly enriched in the oxytocin signaling pathway.…”