Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing Integrative Analyses Reveal Expression Profiles and ceRNA Regulatory Network of Huoyan Goose Egg Production

According to statistics from the FAO, China is the country with the largest number of geese raised and slaughtered worldwide. The goose farming industry is a traditional sector of Chinese livestock production. Huoyan goose is a unique local breed in China, originating from Changtu County in Liaoning Province, with excellent egg production performance. We collected ovarian stroma tissue samples of Huoyan geese at four different stages, from the pre- to post-egg-laying period, with a sample size of five for each group. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing, we identified a total of 13,193 genes, 2814 lncRNAs, and 202 miRNAs, of which 2112 genes, 187 lncRNAs, and 37 miRNAs were differentially expressed between the groups. GO and KEGG functional enrichment results indicated that these genes and non-coding RNAs were involved in multiple pathways related to egg-laying and ovarian development, including the ‘PI3K-Akt signaling pathway’ and the ‘ovulation cycle’. After predicting the target relationships among differentially expressed genes, lncRNAs, and miRNAs, we constructed a competitive endogenous RNA network that could regulate egg production. Our results provide further insights into the regulatory roles of non-coding RNAs in egg production and ovarian development, and offer new references for improving egg production performance of geese.