Integrated whole transcriptome analysis reveals the core circRNA regulatory circuit involved in ovarian development and reproductive differences in sheep: circRNA2058-miR-9226-5P-MET.

The reproductive performance of sheep is a key factor in the production capacity of livestock, but the regulatory role of ncRNA in ovarian development has been relatively studied. By comparing low-reproductive-rate breeds-Ujimqin sheep with high-reproductive-rate breeds-Small-tailed Han sheep, as well as the ovaries of Small-tailed Han sheep at different developmental stages, our work identified the key ceRNA network: circRNA2058-miR-9226-5P-MET that drives ovarian function, providing fundamental data for the utilization of the reproductive potential of sheep.