Identification of Prolificacy-related Differentially Expressed Proteins from Sheep (Ovis aries) Hypothalamus by Comparative Proteomics

Reproduction, as a physiologically complex process, can significantly affect the development of the sheep industry. However, a lack of overall understanding to sheep fecundity has long blocked the progress in sheep breeding and husbandry. Herein, in present study, we aimed to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) from hypothalamus in sheep without FecB mutation in two comparison groups: polytocous (PF) versus (vs.) monotocous (MF) sheep at follicular phase and polytocous (PL) vs. monotocous (ML) sheep at luteal phase,expecting to provide an alternative method to identify DEPs associated with sheep prolificacy from the hypothalamus.