Transcriptome profiles of velvet antler in Gansu red deer

The porpurs of this study is to describe the molecular processes related to antler rapid growth. This study detected mRNAs expressed in primary, rapid, and ossified stages of antlers through RNA-Seq method. We totally obtained 24,778 unigenes in three libraries, including 2,722 differently expressed unigenes. After filtering, 488 DEGs were selected for further study. Most of thses genes annotated in pathway in cancer and P13K-Akt signaling pathway. Since the behavior of velvet antler at rapid growth stage is very similar to the expansion of cancer cells, DEGs annotated to those pathways may play role in antler development. RNA-Seq is a powerful method to explore genes expressed in cells, tissues and organs at different developent stages. Studying the identified genes in this study will provide further insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling antler development.