Screening Of Short Tail Formation Related Genes In Mongolian Sheep Based On RNA-Seq Data

The Inner Mongolia region of China is the main breeding ground for Chinese meat sheep,with approximately 17 groups collectively known as Mongolian sheep.Hulunbuir short-tailed sheep(shortt tail)and Ujumuqin sheep(fat tail)are the main economic breeds.The prominent characteristics of Hulunbuir short-tailed sheep are that their tails are small and wide,and their body fat percentage is low,and more popular among consumers.Understanding the inheritance mechanism behind phenotypic differences in Mongolian sheep(Ovis aries)can help in the selection of excellent breeds.(1)RNA-Sequencing(RNA-Seq)technique was used to determine the transcriptome profiles of 16 day embryonic tissues of Ujumqin sheep and Hulunbuir short-tail sheep.2152 Differential expressed genes(DEGs)were screened,of which 922 genes were up-regulated in the 16 day embryo of Hulunbuir short-tailed sheep(H(E16))and 1230genes were up-regulated in the 16 day embryo of Ujumqin sheep(U(E16)).(2)Gene Ontology(GO)analysis showed that Significant enrichmentmost DEGs were development of nerves,notochord and cartilage;Morphogenesis;Fatty acid metabolism;morphogenesis.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genomes(KEGG)analysis shows that most DEGs are significantly enriched in the BMP signaling pathway,PPAR signaling pathway,and fat metabolism.21 DEGS related to the short tail trait of Mongolian sheep were found,11 genes related to the BMP signaling pathway were up-regulated in H(E16),and 10 genes related to fat metabolism were up-regulated in U(E16).(3)Through Gene set enrichment analysis(GSEA)and Protein-Protein Interaction Networks(PPI)analysis,it was shown that the BMP and PPAR signaling pathways play an important role in the formation of short tails in Mongolian sheep.In conclusion,BMP signaling pathway were identified as a candidate pathway for sheep short tail by transcriptome,RT-q PCR and Western blot analysis.The study provided transcriptome evidence to explain the differences between fat tail sheep and short-tail sheep,and revealed many DEG_Srelated to tail phenotype,providing a theoretical basis for the breeding of short tailed sheep varieties.