miRNA profiles of antler growth centers at different growth stages

To investigate the regulatory role of miRNA on the rapid growth of antler, this study examined the miRNA expression profiles of antler growth centers at three different growth stages, 30, 60 and 90 days after the abscission of the antler base, using high-throughput sequencing technology. Then we screened the differentially expressed miRNAs at different growth stages and annotated their target gene functions. The results showed that miRNAs 4,319, 4,640, and 4,520 were identified in antler growth centers during the three growth periods. To find the key miRNAs that might control rapid antler growth, five differentially expressed miRNAs (DEM) were screened and their functions were annotated. The results of KEGG pathway annotation showed that the target genes of the five DEMs were significantly annotated to the Wnt signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and TGF-beta signaling pathway, which were related to the growth and development of velvet antlers. Thus, the selected 5 miRNAs, especially ppy-miR-1, mmu-miR-200b-3p and novel miR-94 may play critical roles in the rapid antler growth in summer.