ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2019, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (5): 930-938.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2019.05.004

• ANIMAL GENETICS AND BREEDING • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Expression Pattern of GnIH and VIP Genes in Different Reproductive States of Sheep

LI Chunyan1,2, LIU Qiuyue1, HU Wenping1, WANG Xiangyu1, MA Lin1, ZHANG Xiaosheng3, ZHANG Jinlong3, DI Ran1*, CHU Mingxing1*   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China;
    2. School of Life Sciences, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China;
    3. Tianjin Institute of Animal Sciences, Tianjin 300381, China
  • Received:2018-11-23 Online:2019-05-23 Published:2019-05-23

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to further elucidate the roles of GnIH and VIP genes in sheep seasonal estrus and reproductive regulation. Adult Sunite sheep (SNT) under short photoperiod and long photoperiod and Small Tail Han sheep (STH) at follicular stage and luteal stage were selected, meanwhile SNT at 21th day of short photoperiod and 3rd, 15th, 21th, 42th, 49th days of long photoperiod were selected, respectively. Gonadal axis tissue samples including hypothalamus, pituitary, pineal body, ovary, oviduct, uterine body were collected in 3 sheep for each reproductive stage. The qPCR method was used to analyze the expression characteristics of GnIH and VIP genes. The results showed that GnIH and VIP genes were expressed in the above 6 tissues, and had a high expression level in hypothalamus tissue of two breeds (SNT and STH). Expression level of two genes under long photoperiod (LP) was extremely significantly higher than that under short photoperiod (SP) in hypothalamus of SNT (P<0.01). Expression level of VIP gene was significantly higher at luteal stage than that at follicular stage (P<0.05), and expression level of GnIH gene was slightly higher at luteal stage than that at follicular stage but the difference was not significant (P>0.05) in hypothalamus of STH. When SP turned into LP, expression levels of two genes in hypothalamus of SNT rose and showed a transient peak at LP 3rd day, then the expression decreased. Quantitative expression characteristics of GnIH and VIP genes in gonadal axis tissues of adult sheep were revealed in this study. Additionally, expression pattern of the 2 genes in hypothalamus under different photoperiods and different reproduction stages further implied that GnIH and VIP genes was involved in the regulation of sheep seasonal estrus and transition of estrous stages. When SP turns into LP, the 2 genes play pivotal role in the first 3 days under LP.

CLC Number: