title: Transcriptome profile of one-month-old lambs' granulosa cells after superstimulation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Superstimulatory treatment of one-month-old lambs can achieve synchronous development of numerous growing follicles. However, these growing follicles cannot complete maturation and ovulation. Oocyte maturation and competence are acquired during follicular development, in which granulosa cells play an essential role.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we applied RNA sequencing to analyze and compare gene expression between prepubertal and adult superstimulated follicle granulosa cells in sheep.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were more than 300 genes that significantly differed in expression. Among these differently expressed genes, many extracellular matrix genes (EGF containing Fibulin Like Extracellular Matrix Protein 1, pentraxin 3, adrenomedullin, and osteopontin) were significantly down-regulated in the superstimulated follicles. Ingenuity pathway and gene ontology analyses revealed that processes of axonal guidance, cell proliferation and DNA replication were expressed at higher levels in the prepubertal follicles. Epidermal growth factor, T-Box protein 2 and beta-estradiol upstream regulator were predicted to be active in prepubertal follicles. By comparison, tumor protein P53 and let-7 were most active in adult follicles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results may contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms governing the development of granulosa cells in the growing follicle in prepubertal sheep.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830-000, China.
authors.forename: Yangsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830-000, China.
authors.forename: Jiapeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830-000, China.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830-000, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830-000, China.
authors.forename: Liqin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830-000, China.
authors.forename: Mingjun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Urumqi 830-000, China.
authors.forename: Juncheng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
keywords: Granulosa Cells; Lamb; RNA Seq; Sheep; Superstimulation