Transcriptome and proteome profile analysis of the regulation of chicken ovarian development

Ovarian development is a complex process, with early stages laying a crucial foundation for subsequent egg production. To better understand this developmental trajectory from early stages to the peak of egg production, this study employed transcriptomic and Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) proteomic analyses. These methods were used to compare gene and protein expression profiles in the ovaries of Taihe black-boned silky fowl (TBSF) at 20 weeks (20W) and 30 weeks (30W) of age, aiming to identify key regulatory mechanisms. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), and progesterone (P4) at 30 W were found to be higher than those at 20 W, indicating potential involvement of these hormones in ovarian maturation and the initiation of peak egg production. Meanwhile, a total of 4,563 genes and 154 proteins were analyzed, revealing 1,677 upregulated and 2,886 downregulated genes, along with 29 upregulated proteins and 125 downregulated proteins. In the early stages, key pathways such as collagen synthesis, cell adhesion, and ECM-receptor interaction were enriched, suggesting their potential roles in cellular proliferation and matrix development, which may contribute to early egg-laying. During the peak egg-laying period, pathways related to cholesterol and steroid biosynthesis were notably active, potentially supporting the hormonal demands associated with increased egg production. The integrated multi-omics results identified potential candidate genes associated with ovarian development, including COL12A1, COL1A2, ANXA2, ANXA5, OSBP2, LGMN, EDNRA, CRISPLD2, SERPINF2, CYP17A1, YES1, and HSD17B1. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the ovarian development of TBSF hens from early stages to the peak of egg production, and help elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying ovarian development in this breed.