Identification and Classification of Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Mammary Gland of the Holstein Cow

Sahar Ghulam Mohyuddin; Yan Liang; Yuxin Xia; Mengqi Wang; Huimin Zhang; Mingxun Li; Zhangping Yang; Niel A Karrow; Yongjiang Mao

doi:10.3390/ijms241713585

Identification and Classification of Long Non-Coding RNAs in the Mammary Gland of the Holstein Cow

Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Sep 1;24(17):13585. doi: 10.3390/ijms241713585.

Authors

Sahar Ghulam Mohyuddin^{1

2}, Yan Liang^{1

2}, Yuxin Xia^{1

2}, Mengqi Wang³, Huimin Zhang^{1

2}, Mingxun Li^{1

2}, Zhangping Yang^{1

2}, Niel A Karrow⁴, Yongjiang Mao^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory for Animal Genetics, Breeding, Reproduction and Molecular Design of Jiangsu Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
² Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
³ Department of Animal Science, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V-0A6, Canada.
⁴ Center for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G-2W1, Canada.

Abstract

The mammary glands, responsible for milk secretion, are regulated at a local level by various hormones, growth factors, non-coding RNAs, and other elements. Recent research has discovered the presence of lncRNAs in these glands, with suggestions that they may be essential for the maintenance and function of mammary glands. Besides directly controlling the gene and protein expression, lncRNAs are believed to play a significant part in numerous physiological and pathological processes. This study focused on examining the mammary gland tissues of Chinese Holstein cows, to identify and categorize long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). The research intended to distinguish lncRNAs in the mammary tissues of Holstein cows and contrast them between lactation and non-lactation periods. In this study, mammary gland tissues were sampled from three Holstein cows in early lactation (n = 3, 30 days postpartum) and non-lactation (n = 3, 315 days postpartum) on a large dairy farm in Jiangsu province. Mammary tissue samples were collected during early lactation and again during non-lactation. In total, we detected 1905 lncRNAs, with 57.3% being 500 bp and 612 intronic lncRNAs. The exon count for lncRNAs varied from 2 to 10. It was observed that 96 lncRNA expressions markedly differed between the two stages, with 83 genes being upregulated and 53 downregulated. Enrichment analysis results revealed that Gene Ontology (GO) analysis was primarily abundant in cellular processes. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis indicated that target genes were predominantly abundant in metabolic pathways, fatty acid biosynthesis, the immune system, and glycosphingolipid biosynthesis. This study analyzed the expression profile and characteristics of lncRNAs in the mammary gland tissues of Holstein cows during both lactation and non-lactation stages, forming a foundation for further investigation into the functional roles of lncRNAs in Holstein cows throughout lactation.

Keywords: Chinese Holstein cows; RNA sequence analysis; long non-coding RNAs; mammary gland.

MeSH terms

Adipogenesis
Animals
Cattle / genetics
Female
Lactation / genetics
Postpartum Period
RNA, Long Noncoding* / genetics

Substances

RNA, Long Noncoding

Grants and funding

31972555/National Natural Science Foundation of China