Exploring the role of miRNAs in early chicken embryonic development and their significance

Liqin Liao; Ziqi Yao; Jie Kong; Xinheng Zhang; Hongxin Li; Weiguo Chen; Qingmei Xie

Poultry Science (Dec 2023)

Exploring the role of miRNAs in early chicken embryonic development and their significance

Liqin Liao,
Ziqi Yao,
Jie Kong,
Xinheng Zhang,
Hongxin Li,
Weiguo Chen,
Qingmei Xie

Affiliations

Liqin Liao: Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China
Ziqi Yao: Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
Jie Kong: Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China
Xinheng Zhang: Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China
Hongxin Li: Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China
Weiguo Chen: Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China
Qingmei Xie: Heyuan Branch, Guangdong Provincial Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agricultural Science and Technology, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; South China Collaborative Innovation Center for Poultry Disease Control and Product Safety, Guangzhou 510642, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Health Aquaculture and Environmental Control, Guangzhou 510642, Guangdong, China; Corresponding author:

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 102, no. 12
p. 103105

Abstract

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ABSTRACT: In the early stages of embryonic development, a precise and strictly controlled hierarchy of gene expression is essential to ensure proper development of all cell types and organs. To better understand this gene control process, we constructed a small RNA library from 1- to 5-day-old chick embryos, and identified 2,459 miRNAs including 827 existing, 695 known, and 937 novel miRNAs with bioinformatic analysis. There was absolute high expression of a number of miRNAs in each stage, including gga-miR-363-3p (Em1d), gga-miR-26a-5p (Em2d and Em3d), gga-miR-10a-5p (Em4d), and gga-miR-199-5p (Em5d). We evaluated enriched miRNA profiles, identifying VEGF, Insulin, ErbB, MAPK, Hedgehog, TLR and Hippo signaling pathways as primary regulatory mechanisms enabling complex morphogenetic transformations within tight temporal constraints. Pathway analysis revealed miRNAs as pivotal nodes of interaction, coordinating cascades of gene expression critical for cell fate determination, proliferation, migration, and differentiation across germ layers and developing organ systems. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) generated hub miRNAs whose modular connections spanned regulatory networks, including: gga-miR-181a-3p (blue module), coordinating immunegenesis and myogenesis; gga-miR-126-3p (brown module), regulating vasculogenesis and angiogenesis; gga-miR-302c-5p (turquoise module), enabling pluripotency and self-renew; and gga-miR-429-3p (yellow module), modulating neurogenesis and osteogenesis. The findings of this study extend the knowledge of miRNA expression in early embryonic development of chickens, providing insights into the intricate gene control process that helps ensure proper development.

Published in Poultry Science

ISSN: 0032-5791 (Print); 1525-3171 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Agriculture: Animal culture
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/poultry-science

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