Comparative Analysis of mRNA and lncRNA Expression Profiles in Testicular Tissue of Sexually Immature and Sexually Mature Mongolian Horses.
Authors: Liu Yuanyi, Du Ming, Zhang Lei, Wang Na, He Qianqian, Cao Jialong, Zhao Bilig, Li Xinyu, Li Bei, Bou Gerelchimeg, Zhao Yiping, Dugarjaviin Manglai
Journal: Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
Summary
# Editorial Summary Testicular development and sperm production in horses depend on coordinated regulation of both protein-coding genes and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA)—molecules that don't directly code for proteins but modulate gene expression—yet the specific molecular mechanisms governing this transition to sexual maturity remain poorly characterised in equine breeds. Researchers sequenced testicular tissue from 1-year-old and 10-year-old Mongolian horses, identifying over 16,500 commonly expressed messenger RNAs alongside 2,100 lncRNAs, with nearly 9,200 mRNAs and 2,200 lncRNAs showing significantly different expression patterns between the two age groups. Immature testes predominantly expressed genes associated with cellular structure and development, whereas mature testes showed heightened activity in genes regulating hormonal signalling, metabolic processes, and actual sperm production—suggesting a fundamental shift in molecular priorities as the testis matures. For equine practitioners involved in breeding programmes, fertility assessment, or reproductive management, these findings provide a molecular foundation for understanding normal testicular maturation and may eventually inform diagnostic approaches to developmental abnormalities or subfertility in young stallions. Future research validating these expression profiles across other horse breeds could yield practical biomarkers for assessing testicular readiness and reproductive capacity in breeding stock.
Read the full abstract on PubMed
Practical Takeaways
- •Understanding the molecular markers of testicular maturity in Mongolian horses could help establish objective criteria for breeding soundness evaluations and determining breeding readiness
- •The identified gene expression differences between 1-year-old and 10-year-old horses provide a molecular framework for assessing reproductive maturation in breeding stallion management programs
- •Knowledge of stage-specific gene expression patterns may support future development of biomarkers for reproductive performance prediction in young stallions
Key Findings
- •16,582 mRNAs and 2,128 lncRNAs were commonly expressed in both sexually immature (1-year-old) and mature (10-year-old) Mongolian horse testes
- •9,217 mRNAs and 2,191 lncRNAs showed significantly different expression between immature and mature stages (p < 0.05)
- •Immature testicular tissue showed enrichment in cellular infrastructure-related genes, while mature tissue showed enrichment in hormone, metabolism, and spermatogenesis-related genes