Transcriptome analysis of testes gene expression to explore genetic diversity of Mangalica and Camborough boars

The testis, an important reproductive organ, is involved in spermatogenesis and steroid hormone secretion and has been the subject of a wide variety of studies. Pigs are often used as model animals for studies on human physiology and disease, and studies on the testicular development of pigs could shed light on human reproduction. Mangalica, an indigenous Hungarian pig breed, has reproductive traits that are different from those of commercial pig breeds. This specificity could reveal important differences in the cascades and reproductive genes between humans and other animals. In this study, we conducted RNA-sequencing analysis of the testes of 14 days old Mangalica and Camborough boars. We also performed clustering and pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes. We observed the differences in gene expression between the breeds, including Wnt signalling pathways involved in early testicular development. These datasets and analyses are expected to provide important gene sets for pig testis development that can be applied in future studies on human reproductive mechanisms.