Transcriptome analysis of Tibetan sheep ovaries under high- and low- altitude

High-altitude stress continually challenge the survival and decrease fertility of Animals. Tibetan sheep is sheep that living in Qinghai-Tibetan high-plateaus with an average height is 4000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l). Tibetan sheep provides important living resources such as wool, fur, meat and milk for Tibetan community. However, high-altitude stress reduced fertility of Tibetan sheep and the molecular mechanism of Tibetan sheep in responsive to high-altitude stress remains elusive. In this study, transcriptome analysis was performed for ovaries tissues of Tibet sheep at low-altitude (Haiyan, 3000 m.a.s.l, Qinghai Province, China) and high-altitude (Yushu, 4400 m.a.s.l, Qinghai Province, China). 104 genes were identified as differential expressed genes and high-altitude stress induced differential usage of alternative splicing (DAS) especially for retained intron type of AS. Hormone signaling related transcription factors were largely regulated by DEGs, while RNA processing factors were enriched in high-altitude associated DAS. Overall, this project reveals that high-altitude stress repressed the expression of funicular development related transcription factors and induced the aberrant splicing of RNA processing factors.