Transcriptome analysis of pigeon pituitary gland: expression changes of genes encoding protein and peptide hormones at different breeding stages

Zhanggui Zeng; Qiyi Peng; Fuxing Yang; Jie Wu; Hongrui Guo; Huidan Deng; Ling Zhao; Keren Long; Xun Wang

doi:10.1016/j.psj.2024.103742

Transcriptome analysis of pigeon pituitary gland: expression changes of genes encoding protein and peptide hormones at different breeding stages

Poult Sci. 2024 Apr 5;103(6):103742. doi: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103742. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Zhanggui Zeng¹, Qiyi Peng¹, Fuxing Yang¹, Jie Wu¹, Hongrui Guo², Huidan Deng², Ling Zhao², Keren Long³, Xun Wang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. China.
² College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. of China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Swine and Poultry Breeding Industry, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. China; Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Multi-omics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. China; Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, P. R. China. Electronic address: xunwang@sicau.edu.cn.

Abstract

Unlike other poultry, parent pigeons produce "pigeon milk" in their crops to nurture their squabs, which is mainly controlled by prolactin (PRL). Exception for PRL, the pituitary gland may also release various other peptide and protein hormones. However, whether these hormones change during pigeon crop lactation and their potential physiological functions remain unclear. Here, to identify potential peptide or protein hormone genes that regulate crop lactation, we conducted transcriptome analysis of pigeon pituitary glands at 3 different breeding stages (the ceased stage-nonincubation and non-nurturing stage, the 11th d of the incubation, and the 1st d of the nurturing stage) using RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). Our analysis identified a total of 15,191 mRNAs and screened out 297 differentially expressed genes (DEG), including PRL, VIP, etc. The expression abundance of PRL mRNA on the 1st d of the nurturing stage was respectively 4.93 and 3.62 folds higher when compared to the ceased stage and the 11th d of the incubation stage. Additionally, the expression abundance of VIP is higher in the 1st d of the nurturing stage than in the ceased stage. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) analysis identified several vital DEGs (e.g., GHRHR, VIP, etc.), being closely linked with hormone and enriched in neuropeptide signaling pathway and response to the hormone. Expression pattern analysis revealed that these DEGs exhibited 4 distinct expression patterns (profile 10, 16, 18, 19). Genes in profile 10 and 19 presented a trend with the highest expression level on 1st d of the nurturing stage, and functional enrichment analysis indicated that these genes are involved in neuropeptide hormone activity, receptor-ligand activity, and the extracellular matrix, etc. Taken together, being consistent with PRL, some genes encoding peptide and protein hormones (e.g., VIP) presented differentially expressed in different breeding stages. It suggests that these hormones may be involved in regulation of the crop lactation process or corresponding behavior in domestic pigeons. The results of this study help to gain new insights into the role of pituitary gland in regulating pigeon lactation.

Keywords: hormone; lactation; pigeon crop; pituitary gland; transcriptome.