Transcriptome analysis of goat ovaries and follicles based on high-throughput sequencing

Objective  To compare the expression profiles of mRNA among ovarian stroma, large follicles and small follicles of goat (Capra hircus), and lay a foundation for exploring the mechanism of follicular development.

Method  High-throughput sequencing technology was used to sequence the transcriptome of ovarian stroma, large follicles and small follicles in Chuanzhong black goats during estrus. The expression profiles of mRNA were detected by bioinformatics, and the differentially expressed genes were screened out. The GO and KEGG pathways of differentially expressed genes were analyzed. Finally, five differentially expressed genes were randomly selected and were verified by fluorescence quantitative PCR.

Result  The differentially expressed genes of ovarian stroma vs large follicles, ovarian stroma vs small follicles and small follicles vs large follicles were 524, 180 and 403, respectively. Fifteen genes related to follicular development, such as INHA and TNFRSF19, were screened. They were mainly involved in endoplasmic reticulum protein processing, steroid biosynthesis, oocyte meiosis signaling pathway and so on. Quantitative results were basically consistent with sequencing results verified by qRT-PCR.

Conclusion  The gene expression profiles of ovarian stroma, large follicles and small follicles in Chuanzhong black goats are different, and the gene expression patterns of small follicles and ovarian stroma are relative more similar.