Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Differences in Skeletal Muscle Gene Expression in Sheep (Ovis aries) of Different Genders
LOU Meng-Yu1,2, LU Jia-Ni1,2, DUAN Qin1,2, YANG Wang-Xin1,2, ZHENG Qi1,2, ZHU Cui-Yun1,2, ZHANG Si-Huan1,2, LI Shuang1,2, LING Ying-Hui1,2,*
1 College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; 2 Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Biological Breeding, Hefei 230036, China
Abstract Sex is one of the main factors affecting skeletal muscle development and meat production performance in sheep (Ovis aries). This study investigated the differences in gene expression in sheep longest dorsal muscle of different sexes using transcriptome sequencing technology, aiming to reveal the molecular mechanism of the effect of sex on skeletal muscle development in sheep. A total of 14 587 genes were identified by transcriptome sequencing and analysis, among which 29 genes were significantly differentially expressed. 23 genes were significantly up-regulated and 6 were down-regulated in the ram group compared with the ewe group. The differential genes included xin actin binding repeat containing 1 (XIRP1), glutathione peroxidase 2 (GPX2), acyl-CoA synthetase medium chain family member 1 (ACSM1), fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4), testis specific serine kinase 6 (TSSK6), etc. The GO analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in ribonucleoside, actin-binding and cytoskeleton-binding categories, and the KEGG pathway analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in 3 signaling pathways, namely PPAR signaling pathway, arachidonic acid metabolism and glutathione metabolism signaling pathway. Thus, differences in skeletal muscle development in sheep between the sexes may arise through the above pathways. Eight differentially expressed genes were randomly selected and their expression was verified by qPCR, and the results were generally consistent with the transcriptome sequencing results, which proved that the sequencing results were reliable. In conclusion, this study revealed the differences in skeletal muscle gene expression and related signaling pathways in sheep of different sexes, which provides reference for further understanding the mechanisms by which sex affects muscle development in sheep.
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