A comprehensive transcriptomic view on the role of SMAD4 gene by RNAi-mediated knockdown in porcine follicular granulosa cells.
As a key mediator of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling pathway, which plays a pivotal role in regulating mammalian reproductive performance, Sma- and Mad-related protein 4 (SMAD4) is closely associated with the development of ovarian follicular. However, current knowledge of the genome-wide view on the role of SMAD4 gene in mammalian follicular granulosa cells (GCs) is still largely unknown. In the present study, RNA-Seq was performed to investigate the effects of SMAD4 knockdown by RNA interference (SMAD4-siRNA) in porcine follicular GCs. A total of 1025 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including 530 upregulated genes and 495 downregulated genes, were identified in SMAD4-siRNA treated GCs compared with that treated with NC-siRNA. Furthermore, functional enrichment analysis indicated that upregulated DEGs in SMAD4-siRNA treated cells were mainly enriched in cell-cycle related processes, interferon signaling pathway, and immune system process, while downregulated DEGs in SMAD4-siRNA treated cells were mainly involved in extracellular matrix organization/disassembly, pathogenesis, and cell adhesion. In particular, cell cycle and TGF-β signaling pathway were discovered as the canonical pathways changed under SMAD4-silencing. Taken together, our data reveals SMAD4 knockdown alters the expression of numerous genes involved in key biological processes of the development of follicular GCs and provides a novel global clue of the role of SMAD4 gene in porcine follicular GCs, thus improving our understanding of regulatory mechanisms of SMAD4 gene in follicular development.
College of Animal Science and TechnologyNanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Lifan
L
Zhang
College of Animal Science and TechnologyNanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Xing
X
Du
College of Animal Science and TechnologyNanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Shengjuan
S
Wei
College of Animal Science and TechnologyNanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
Dongfeng
D
Li
College of Animal Science and TechnologyNanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China liqifa@njau.edu.cn.
Qifa
Q
Li
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D002453:Cell Cycle; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D034622:RNA Interference; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D051901:Smad4 Protein / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D059467:Transcriptome
D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D051901:Smad4 Protein