Identification of Circular RNAs in the Ovaries of Hu Sheep and Local Fat-tailed Sheep during the Luteal Phase

Abstract

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of endogenous non-coding RNAs with covalently closed loop structures, play important role in mammalian growth and development by regulating gene expression and participating in various biological processes. The aim of this study was to identify the expression profiles of circRNAs in the ovaries of Hu sheep and local Fat-tailed sheep during the luteal phase to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of circRNAs on reproduction and follicular development in sheep. Methods: To identify the differentially expressed circRNAs expressed in luteal phase conditions in Hu sheep and fat-tailed sheep, ovarian samples collected during the luteal phase were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing and subsequent transcriptomic approaches and bioinformatics analysis. Result: A total of 2,875 differentially expressed circRNAs were identified by high-through sequencing. Gene Ontology terminology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis showed that the host genes were mainly involved in the secretion and metabolism of the various pathway. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to validate the results of expression profiling. These results contributed to an improved understanding of circRNA and the biological mechanisms of ovarian reproduction in sheep.