title: Identification and verification of differentially expressed genes in the caprine hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis that are associated with litter size.
abstract: Litter size is a favorable economic trait for the goat industry, but remains a complex trait controlled by multiple genes in multiple organs. Several genes have been identified that may affect embryo survival, follicular development, and the health of fetuses during pregnancy. Jining Grey goats demonstrate the largest litter size among goat breeds indigenous to China. In order to better understand the genetic basis of this trait, six suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) cDNA libraries were constructed using pooled mRNAs from hypothalamuses, pituitaries, and ovaries of sexually mature and adult polytocous Jining Grey goats, as testers, versus the pooled corresponding mRNAs of monotocous Liaoning Cashmere goats, as drivers. A total of 1,458 true-positive clones--including 955 known genes and 481 known and 22 unknown expressed sequence tags--were obtained from the SSH libraries by sequencing and alignment. The known genes were categorized into cellular processes and signaling information storage and processing, and metabolism. Three genes (FTH1, GH, and SAA) were selected to validate the SSH results by quantitative real-time PCR; all three were up-regulated in the corresponding tissues in the tester group indicating that these are candidate genes associated with the large litter size of Jining Grey goats. Several other identified genes may affect embryo survival, follicular development, and health during pregnancy. This study provides insights into the mechanistic basis by which the caprine hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis affects reproductive traits and provides a theoretical basis for goat production and breeding.
authors: Key Laboratory of Farm Animal Genetic Resources Germplasm Innovation of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China; Institute of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Science, Beijing, China.
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Feng
authors: Gui-Ling
authors: GL
authors: Cao
authors: Ming-Xing
authors: MX
authors: Chu
authors: Ran
authors: R
authors: Di
authors: Dong-Wei
authors: DW
authors: Huang
authors: Qiu-Yue
authors: QY
authors: Liu
authors: Zhang-Yuan
authors: ZY
authors: Pan
authors: Mei
authors: M
authors: Jin
authors: Ying-Jie
authors: YJ
authors: Zhang
authors: Ning
authors: N
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods; D002681:China; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D015723:Gene Library; D006041:Goats / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006066:Gonads / Q000378:metabolism*; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008098:Litter Size / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020412:Multifactorial Inheritance / Q000235:genetics*; D011247:Pregnancy; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D066251:Subtractive Hybridization Techniques / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers