Proteomics analysis revealed the mechanism of differential egg productive in geese

ABSTRACT The Western Anhui white goose is a highly esteemed breed in our country, renowned for its superior meat quality and exceptional egg-laying performance. As the primary reproductive organ in poultry, the ovary significantly influences the sexual maturation and reproductive capacity of female animals. Understanding the molecular basis underlying nesting behavior in geese relies on understanding the variations in ovarian proteins during different nesting periods. To investigate the effect of proteins on nesting behavior and fecundity, we selected ovarian tissues from three high-and three low-fertility Wanxi white geese. By employing a tandem mass-tag-based quantitative proteomics method, we successfully identified 4611 proteins, of which 111 exhibited significant differences. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that these differentially expressed proteins were primarily associated with glycolysis and folate biosynthesis pathways. Furthermore, our protein-protein interaction network analysis demonstrated that the interacting proteins predominantly participated in ribosome function as well as amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism. The findings of this study establish a foundation for elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying variations in ovarian protein levels among Wanxi white geese with different fecundity.