High-throughput small RNA and transcriptome sequencing reveal reproduction-related microRNAs and mRNA in ovary of Geese in Counter-Season Production

Background: Broodiness is a phenomenon that occurs in most avian species and significantly reduces productivity. Several genes are known to play an important role in regulating the progress of reproduction, but the molecular regulation mechanism of broodiness remains unclear. In the current study, via high throughput sequencing, we identified and explored the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs involved in ovarian atrophy. Results We identified a total of 901 mRNAs and 50 miRNAs that were differentially expressed in egg-laying and atrophic ovaries. Among them, numerous DEGs transcripts and target genes for miRNAs were significantly enriched in reproductive processes, cell proliferation, and apoptosis pathways. In addition, a miRNA- gene-pathway network was constructed by considering target relationships and correlation of the expression levels between ovary development-related genes and miRNAs. Conclusions We discovered mRNA and miRNAs transcripts that are candidate regulators of ovary development in broody geese. Our findings expanded our understanding of the functional of miRNAs in ovarian atrophy and demonstrated that RNA-Seq is a powerful tool for examining the molecular mechanism in regulating broodiness.