Whole Transcriptome Analysis: Implication to Estrous Cycle Regulation

Abstract

Estrous cycle is one of the placental mammal characteristics after sexual maturity, including estrus stage (ES) and diestrus stage (DS). Estrous cycle is important in female physiology and its disorder may lead to diseases, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, ovarian carcinoma, anxiety, and epilepsy. In the latest years, effects of non-coding RNAs and messenger RNA (mRNA) on estrous cycle have started to arouse much concern, however, a whole transcriptome analysis among non-coding RNAs and mRNA has not been reported. Here, we report a whole transcriptome analysis of goat ovary in estrus and diestrus periods. Estrus synchronization was conducted to induce the estrus phase and on day 32, the goats shifted into the diestrus stage. The ovary RNA of estrus and diestrus stages was respectively collected to perform RNA-sequencing. Then, the circular RNA (circRNA), microRNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and mRNA databases of goat ovary were acquired, and the differential expressions between estrus and diestrus stages were screened to construct circRNA-miRNA-mRNA/lncRNA and lncRNA-miRNA/mRNA networks, thus providing potential pathways that are involved in the regulation of estrous cycle. Differentially expressed mRNAs, such as MMP9, TIMP1, 3BHSD, and PTGIS, and differentially expressed miRNAs that play key roles in the regulation of estrous cycle, such as miR-21-3p, miR-202-3p, and miR-223-3p, were extracted from the network. Our data provided the miRNA, circRNA, lncRNA, and mRNA databases of goat ovary and each differentially expressed profile between ES and DS. Networks among differentially expressed miRNAs, circRNAs, lncRNAs, and mRNAs were constructed to provide valuable resources for the study of estrous cycle and related diseases.

CircRNAs in Xiang pig ovaries among diestrus and estrus stages

“…It is generally accepted that the functions of circRNAs are related to the functions of their parent genes [ 6 ]. Previous studies have indicated that many differentially expressed coding and noncoding RNAs are widely expressed in the diestrus or estrus stages and several genes could affect estrus of animals [ 23 ]. In our study, we found that eighteen genes, which have known to be involved in ovary functions or other reproductive processes, produced more than one circRNAs (Additional file 3 : Table S3).…”

A multi-tissue transcriptomic landscape of female mice in estrus and diestrus provides clues for precision medicine

“…In this study, we monitored the estrous cycles of C57BL/6J mice according to the patterns of vaginal epithelial stratification and serum hormone levels. Considering estrus and diestrus are two typical phases in estrous cycle, which were often visited in previous researches (Skulska et al, 2019;An et al, 2021;Bernhardt et al, 2021), we established a transcriptomic landscape across 15 tissues in estrus and diestrus (Figure 1A) by RNA-sequencing. Based on the gene expression data, we firstly uncovered a number of genes, pathways and transcription factors involved in the estrous cycle on a multitissue scale.…”

Salivary cell-free HSD17B1 and HSPA1A transcripts as potential biomarkers for estrus identification in buffaloes ( Bubalus bubalis )

“…Their study demonstrated a signi cantly lower level of miR-99a-5p during estrus and receiveroperating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed its ability (AUC of 0.64, P < 0.08) to differentiate estrus from the diestrus stage of the estrous cycle. Transcriptomic analysis of goat ovarian tissues showed altered mRNA expression between estrus and diestrus [12]. Since the ovary has a rich blood supply, it seems rational to hypothesize that mRNA may be excreted differentially into the peripheral circulation depending on the stage of the estrous cycle and some of these systemic transcripts may be in saliva as a transudate, which can mirror ovarian transcription and act as estrus biomarkers.…”