Gene Expression Profiling in Ovaries and Association Analyses Reveal HEP21 as a Candidate Gene for Sexual Maturity in Chickens
The age of onset of sexual maturity is an important reproductive trait in chickens.In this study, we explored candidate genes associated with sexual maturity and ovary development in chickens.We performed DGE RNA-sequencing analyses of ovaries of pre-laying (P-F-O1, L-F-O1) and laying (P-F-O2, L-F-O2) hens of two sub-breeds of Ningdu Yellow chicken