摘要
试验旨在解析藏绵羊睾丸-附睾轴协同调控精子发育的分子机制。以8只健康雄性藏绵羊(3月龄性成熟前和1岁性成熟后各4只)为研究对象,采集其睾丸及附睾头、体、尾区段组织,通过转录组测序、差异表达基因分析及功能富集分析,系统比较性成熟前后睾丸-附睾轴的基因表达特征及其潜在功能差异。结果显示:性成熟明显重塑了转录组图谱,与性成熟前相比,性成熟后睾丸与附睾头的差异mRNA数量从6304个增加至11056个,附睾头与体之间、体与尾之间的差异mRNA数量也分别从19个增至2170个、163个增至1553个,驱动附睾功能分区化形成;功能富集分析解析了阶段特异性的调控信号:在睾丸至附睾头阶段,差异基因富集于AMPK/mTOR/HIF-1信号通路,提示其协调能量代谢重编程与低氧适应过程;在附睾头至体阶段,差异基因主要富集于鞘脂代谢、视黄醇代谢及Wnt信号通路,主导精子膜成熟与附睾微环境重塑;而在附睾体至尾阶段,差异基因则在脂代谢、免疫豁免及离子稳态相关通路中富集,协同维持精子的静息贮存状态。以上结果提示,性成熟通过诱导睾丸-附睾轴转录组呈现显著的区域化差异表达,进而精准调控并保障藏绵羊精子的发育成熟与贮存。
This study aimed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the coordinated regulation of sperm development and maturation along the testis-epididymis axis in Tibetan sheep.Four healthy ram lambs at 3 months old and four healthy mature rams at 1 year old were used to collect the tissues from the testis and epididymal segments(caput,corpus,and cauda).Through transcriptome sequencing,differential gene expression analysis and functional enrichment analysis,we systematically compared gene expression profiles and potential functional differances of the testis-epididymis axis before and after sexual maturity.The results revealed that sexual maturity process significantly remodeled the transcriptomic landscape,leading to an increase in the number of differentially expressed(DE)mRNAs from 6304 of ram lamb to 11056 of mature ram between the testis and caput epididymidis,from 19 of ram lambs to 2170 of mature rams between the caput and corpus epididymidis,and from 163 of ram lambs to 1553 of mature rams between the corpus and cauda epididymidis,respectively,implying their roles in driving the functional partitioning of the epididymis.Functional enrichment analysis analyzedregion-specific regulatory signals:in the testis-to-caput epididymidis region,DE mRNAs were enriched in the AMPK/mTOR/HIF-1 signaling pathway,suggesting its role in coordinating energy metabolism reprogramming and hypoxic adaptation;in the caput-to-corpus epididymidis region,DE mRNAs were primarily enriched in sphingolipid metabolism,retinol metabolism and the Wnt signaling pathway,indicating their leading roles in sperm membrane maturation and epididymal microenvironment reshaping;in the corpus-to-cauda epididymidis region,DE mRNAs were enriched in pathways related to lipid metabolism,immune privilege and ion homeostasis,synergistically maintaining sperm in a quiescent storage state.These findings demonstrate that sexual maturity process induces regionally divergent transcriptomic expression along the testis-epididymis axis,thereby precisely regulating and ensuring sperm development,maturation,and storage in Tibetan sheep.
作者
李讨讨
王慧慧
刘子龙
李旭杰
施小丹
马友记
LI Taotao;WANG Huihui;LIU Zilong;LI Xujie;SHI Xiaodan;MA Youji(College of Animal Science and Technology,Gansu Agricultural University,Lanzhou 730070,China;Gansu Key Laboratory of Animal Generational Physiology and Reproductive Regulation,Lanzhou 730070,China)
出处
《黑龙江动物繁殖》
2025年第4期1-10,共10页
Heilongjiang journal of animal reproduction
基金
国家自然科学基金项目(32202675)
甘肃农业大学“伏羲青年英才培养计划”项目(Gaufx-05Y04)
甘肃农业大学学科团队项目(GAU-XKTD-2022-20)。
关键词
藏绵羊
睾丸
附睾
转录组
精子成熟
Tibetan sheep
testis
epididymis
transcriptome
sperm maturation
