MicroRNAs expression in Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal axis in goat

Reproduction is an event that requires the coordinationof peripheral organs with the central nervous system, each event is accompanied by positive and negativehormonal regulation along the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Gonadal (HPG)axis. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), a class of small non-coding RNA molecules, playimportant roles in gene expressions by targeting messenger RNAs for post-transcriptional cleavage or translational inhibition, affectingphysiology in mammals. In order to better understand molecular pathways involved in HPG axis regulation, we evaluate the transcriptomicand miRNA profile changes in hypothalamus,pituitary and ovary from 3 Saanen goats using Illumina high-throughput technology. Reads were mapped on theCapra hircusreference genome and expression levels of both coding and non codingRNAs were assessed.We found 818miRNAs belonging to known (436) and novel (382) classes, 67of which aredifferentially expressed in the three tissues.Transcriptomic profiling revealed 2223, genes that were differentially expressed between hypothalamus and pituitary, 2117 between pituitary and ovary and 3823 between hypothalamus and ovary. This study reveals for the first time acomplete large and small RNA profile of the HPG axis in goat.The characterization of these RNAs could contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of reproductive physiology and development in this species.