Chinese scholars have discovered key regulatory genes in the mammary glands of mice during pregnancy and lactation

  Researchers from the Beijing Institute of Genomics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the transcriptomics study of mouse gene expression during pregnancy, lactation, and degeneration of mouse mammary glands. Search for protein-coding genes, transcription factors and miRNAs that play important regulatory roles in breast development. The mammary gland is a unique organ in mammals, and 90% of the developmental process after childbirth is concentrated. During the reproductive process, the development of the mammary glands goes through three stages: pregnancy, lactation and degeneration (called the pregnancy-lactation cycle).

  In order to better understand the mechanism by which breast development reaches the transcriptome level, the researchers used ribosomal RNA depletion to study three stages (12 days of gestation, 14 days of lactation, and 7 days of degeneration). A total RNA library of mouse mammary glands was constructed, and the amount of data generated by each library exceeded 5 x 107 reads. Since the morphology and function of breasts undergo significant changes during pregnancy and lactation, studies on breast gene expression at different stages of development can shed light on the reasons for these differences.

  In addition to a series of relevant biological information, RNA-seq gene expression data also identified several protein-coding genes, transcription factors and miRNAs, which play a major regulatory role in breast development. Most genes that are down-regulated during lactation are involved.