Integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome revealed biological basis of sows from estrus to lactation

Characterization of molecular mechanisms underlying pregnancy development of sows is important for the genetic improvement of pig breeding traits, and also provides resources for biomedical research on human pregnancy diseases. How-ever, the transcriptome and metabolome across multiple developmental stages of sow pregnancy were still lacking. In this study, we obtained 84 distinct RNA sequencing and 42 metabolome datasets of pig blood across six development stages from estrus to lactation. We confirmed the initial sequence and exonic structural features, stage-specific molecules, expression or accumulation pattern of molecules, the regulatory mechanism of transcriptome and metabolome, and important pregnancy-related metabolites both in pigs and humans. In conclusion, we proposed the key differences among the stages of sows from estrus to lacta-tion in RNAs and metabolites and put forward key markers. These data results were expected to provide essential resources for pig breeding and biomedical research on human pregnancy disease.

Automated summary

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of sow pregnancy development is crucial for genetic improvement of pig breeding traits and provides resources for biomedical research on human pregnancy diseases. However, there is a lack of transcriptome and metabolome data across different stages of sow pregnancy. In this study, we analyzed 84 RNA sequencing and 42 metabolome datasets from pig blood samples across six developmental stages. The findings revealed the sequence features, stage-specific molecules, expression patterns, regulatory mechanisms, and important pregnancy-related metabolites in both pigs and humans. These results are expected to contribute essential resources for pig breeding and biomedical research on human pregnancy diseases.