Abstract
Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) were identified recently as a large class of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) with a length ≥200 base pairs (bp). The function and mechanism of lncRNAs have been reported in a growing number of species and tissues. In contrast, the regulatory mechanism of lncRNAs in the goat reproductive system has rarely been reported. In the present study, we sequenced and analyzed the lncRNAs using bioinformatics to identify their expression profiles. As a result, 895 lncRNAs were predicted in the pre-ovulatory ovarian follicles of goats. Eighty-eight lncRNAs were differentially expressed in the Macheng black goat when compared with Boer goat. In addition, the lncRNA XR_311113.2 acted as a sponge of chi-miR-424-5p, as assessed via a luciferase activity assay. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that lncRNAs have potential effects in the ovarian follicles of goats and may represent a promising new research field to understand follicular development.
Highlights
Ovulation rate is an important goat reproductive trait that determines the upper limit of the female goat litter size; in turn, the growth and development of follicles in the ovary determine the ovulation rate (Cui et al, 2009)
We carried out a series of rigorous screening analyses using three analytical software programs (CPC, PFAM, and CNCI) (Figures 1A,B), and a total of 895 Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) from 99,106 assembled transcripts were identified (Figure 1C and Supplementary Table S1)
These lncRNAs consisted of 88.0% long intergenic noncoding RNAs and 12.0% antisense lncRNAs, with virtually no intronic lncRNAs being detected (Figure 1D)
Summary
Ovulation rate is an important goat reproductive trait that determines the upper limit of the female goat litter size; in turn, the growth and development of follicles in the ovary determine the ovulation rate (Cui et al, 2009). Follicle development is a very complex biological process and its regulatory mechanism warrants further study. During mammalian ovarian folliculogenesis, which involves multiple transcription factors, primordial follicles develop into pre-ovulatory follicles, followed by ovulation, which releases mature oocytes (Choi and Rajkovic, 2006; Pan et al, 2012). We found that after hormone treatment, the litter size of Macheng black goat remains above Boer goat. To investigate the phenotypic differences, we analyze the pre-ovulatory follicles of ewes after hormone treatment via High-throughput sequencing and analyze the development of follicles in a highly fertile local goat
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