Journal Article

Transcriptome analysis reveals miRNA expression profiles in hypothalamus tissues during the sexual development of Jining grey goats

Xuan, Rong, Zhang, Lu, Li, Qing, Wang, Yanyan, Guo, Yanfei, He, Peipei, Wang, Jianmin, Chao, Tianle

2024

Overview

Background Exploring the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying goat sexual maturation can enhance breeding practices and optimize reproductive efficiency and is therefore substantially important for practical breeding purposes. As an essential neuroendocrine organ in animals, the hypothalamus is involved in sexual development and other reproductive processes in female animals. Although microRNAs (miRNAs) have been identified as significant regulators of goat reproduction, there is a lack of research on the molecular regulatory mechanisms of hypothalamic miRNAs that are involved in the sexual development of goats. Therefore, we examined the dynamic changes in serum hormone profiles and hypothalamic miRNA expression profiles at four developmental stages (1 day (neonatal, D1, n  = 5), 2 months (prepubertal, M2, n  = 5), 4 months (sexual maturity, M4, n  = 5), and 6 months (breeding period, M6, n  = 5)) during sexual development in Jining grey goats. Results Transcriptome analysis revealed 95 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) in the hypothalamus of goats across the four developmental stages. The target genes of these miRNAs were significantly enriched in the GnRH signalling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway, and the Ras signalling pathway ( P  < 0.05). Additionally, 16 DEMs are common among the M2 vs. D1, M4 vs. D1, and M6 vs. D1 comparisons, indicating that the transition from D1 to M2 represents a potentially critical period for sexual development in Jining grey goats. The bioinformatics analysis results indicate that miR-193a/miR-193b-3p-Annexin A7 ( ANXA7 ), miR-324-5p-Adhesion G protein-coupled receptor A1 ( ADGRA1 ), miR-324-3p-Erbb2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 ( ERBB2 ), and miR-324-3p-Rap guanine nucleotide exchange factor 3 ( RAPGEF3 ) are potentially involved in biological processes such as hormone secretion, energy metabolism, and signal transduction. In addition, we further confirmed that miR-324-3p targets the regulatory gene RAPGEF3 . Conclusion These results further enrich the expression profile of hypothalamic miRNAs in goats and provide important insights for studying the regulatory effects of hypothalamic miRNAs on the sexual development of goats after birth.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: 1-Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase / AKT protein / Animal genetics / Animal Genetics and Genomics / Animals / Bioinformatics / Biological activity / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Breeding / Breeding methods / Chromosome 3 / Critical period / Developmental stages / Energy metabolism / ErbB-2 protein / Female / Fertility / Gene expression / Gene Expression Profiling / Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Genes / Genetic aspects / Genetic research / Genomes / Goat / Goats / Goats - genetics / Goats - metabolism / Gonadotropin-releasing hormone / Guanine nucleotide exchange factor / Hormones / Hypothalamus / Hypothalamus - metabolism / Kinases / Life Sciences / Male / Microarrays / Microbial Genetics and Genomics / MicroRNA / MicroRNAs / MicroRNAs - genetics / MicroRNAs - metabolism / miRNA / Molecular modelling / Neonates / Nucleotides / Ovaries / Physiological aspects / Pituitary gland / Plant Genetics and Genomics / Protein-tyrosine kinase receptors / Proteomics / Puberty / Receptors / Regulatory mechanisms (biology) / Sexual development / Sexual Development - genetics / Sexual Maturation - genetics / Sexual maturity / Signal Transduction / Software / Tissues / Transcriptome / Transcriptomes / Tyrosine