Integrative proteomic and transcriptomic analysis in the female goat ovary to explore the onset of puberty

Ping Qin; Zhihao Pan; Wei Zhang; Rui Wang; Xiaoqian Li; Juntai Lu; Shuangshuang Xu; Xinbao Gong; Jing Ye; Xu Yan; Ya Liu; Yunsheng Li; Yunhai Zhang; Fugui Fang

doi:10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105183

Integrative proteomic and transcriptomic analysis in the female goat ovary to explore the onset of puberty

J Proteomics. 2024 Apr 28:301:105183. doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105183. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Ping Qin¹, Zhihao Pan¹, Wei Zhang¹, Rui Wang¹, Xiaoqian Li¹, Juntai Lu¹, Shuangshuang Xu¹, Xinbao Gong¹, Jing Ye¹, Xu Yan¹, Ya Liu¹, Yunsheng Li¹, Yunhai Zhang¹, Fugui Fang²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry, Genetical Resource Conservation and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China.
² Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Local Livestock and Poultry, Genetical Resource Conservation and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui 230036, China. Electronic address: fgfang@ahau.edu.cn.

PMID: 38688390
DOI: 10.1016/j.jprot.2024.105183

Abstract

Puberty is considered a prerequisite for affecting reproductive performance and productivity. Little was known about molecular changes in pubertal goat ovaries. Therefore, we measured and performed a correlation analysis of the mRNA and proteins changes in the pre-pubertal and pubertal goat ovaries. The results showed that only six differentially expressed genes and differentially abundant proteins out of 18,139 genes and 7550 proteins quantified had significant correlations. CNTN2 and THBS1, discovered in the mRNA-mRNA interaction network, probably participated in pubertal and reproductive regulation by influencing GnRH receptor signals, follicular development, and ovulation. The predicted core transcription factors may either promote or inhibit the expression of reproductive genes and act synergistically to maintain normal reproductive function in animals. The interaction between PKM and TIMP3 with other proteins may impact animal puberty through energy metabolism and ovarian hormone secretion. Pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the co-associated key pathways between ovarian genes and proteins at puberty included calcium signalling pathway and olfactory transduction. These pathways were associated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone synthesis and secretion, signal transmission, and cell proliferation. In summary, these results enriched the potential molecules and signalling pathways that affect puberty and provided new insights for regulating and promoting the onset of puberty. SIGNIFICANCE: This study conducted the first transcriptomic and proteomic correlation analysis of pre-pubertal and pubertal goat ovaries and identified six significantly correlated molecules at both the gene and protein levels. Meanwhile, we were drawn to several molecules and signalling pathways that may play a regulatory role in the onset of puberty and reproduction by influencing reproductive-related gene expression, GnRH receptor signals, energy metabolism, ovarian hormone secretion, follicular development, and ovulation. This information contributed to identify potential biomarkers in pubertal goat ovaries, which was vital for predicting the onset of puberty and improving livestock performance.

Keywords: Anhui white goats; Correlation analysis; Interaction network; Onset of puberty; Ovary.