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Simple Summary: The reproduction of goats is a highly complex and dynamic process of life regulation, which is synergistically regulated by various aspects such as central nervous system regulation, reproductive system development, oocyte maturation, and fertilized egg development. In goats, there is still an urgent need to explore marker genes related to reproductive performance. This study identified the RPL4 gene as a key marker gene related to reproductive capacity in goat oocytes through various bioinformatics analysis methods including WGCNA, PPI network analysis, and differential gene expression analysis. The results reveal that the RPL4 gene in oocytes has the potential to serve as a biological marker for determining the reproductive rate of goats, deepening our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of goat reproductive performance. Reproduction in goats is a highly complex and dynamic process of life regulation, involving coordinated regulation from various aspects such as central nervous system regulation, reproductive system development, oocyte maturation, and fertilized egg development. In recent years, researchers have identified numerous genes associated with goat reproductive performance through high-throughput sequencing, single-cell sequencing, gene knockout, and other techniques. However, there is still an urgent need to explore marker genes related to goat reproductive performance. In this study, a single-cell RNA sequencing dataset of oocytes (GSE136005) was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) was utilized to identify modules highly correlated with goat litter size. Through gene function enrichment analysis, it was found that genes within the modules were mainly enriched in adhesive junctions, cell cycle, and other signaling pathways. Additionally, the top 30 hub genes with the highest connectivity in WGCNA were identified. Subsequently, using Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) network analysis, the top 30 genes with the highest connectivity within the modules were identified. The intersection of hub genes, key genes in the PPI network, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) led to the identification of the RPL4 gene as a key marker gene associated with reproductive capacity in goat oocytes. Overall, our study reveals that the RPL4 gene in oocytes holds promise as a biological marker for assessing goat litter size, deepening our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms underlying goat reproductive performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glycogen is an essential nutritional component of the Pacific abalone (Haliotis discus hannai), and its content is a crucial factor in selecting and breeding high-quality abalone. Glycogen catabolism is facilitated by two key enzymes: glycogen debranching enzyme (GDE) and glycogen phosphorylase (GP). This study aimed to explore the relationship between GDE and GP gene polymorphisms and glycogen content in abalone. To this end, four and two SNP loci located in the exonic regions of these two genes, respectively, were screened and identified in 264 abalone using direct sequencing. The results of genetic polymorphism and correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between the expression of GDE and GP and glycogen content. Moreover, the study found that the GA haplotype of GDE gene SNP1/3 was significantly associated with high glycogen content, while the TT genotype of GP gene SNP2 was significantly associated with low glycogen content. These results provide molecular markers that could be utilized for selecting and breeding glycogen traits in abalone, indicating the potential influence of GDE and GP polymorphisms on glycogen content. • Glycogen content in 264 samples of H. discus hannai showed a normal distribution. • The expressions of GDE and GP were negatively correlated with glycogen content. • The GA haplotype of SNP1/3 in GDE was strongly associated with high glycogen content. • The TT genotype of SNP2 in GP was strongly associated with low glycogen content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Six lacustrine carbonate microfacies in the Lower Cretaceous Junggar Basin are identified. • A semi-open, shallow, and hydrologically partitioned lake in the Early Cretaceous. • Aridificaiton led to transition from hydrologically partitioned to integrated lake. We report sedimentary microfacies analysis of Lower Cretaceous algal-laminated limestones interbedded with siliciclastic sediments in the Junggar Basin. We use these data to fill a knowledge gap in the Jurassic–Late Cretaceous paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate reconstructions of Central Asia. To decipher paleoenvironments and genetic mechanisms, we applied optical petrography, cathodoluminescence and fluorescence imaging, Raman spectroscopy, stable isotopic, and scanning electron microscopic analysis. Some oncoids exhibit alternating dark organic carbon-rich micrites and light sparry calcite laminae with unequal thicknesses and binding structures of microbiota. Formed by both algal binding and inorganic calcite precipitation, in-situ mixing happened during the formation of oncoidal, ooidal, and ostracodal grainstones in an agitated lakeshore and thromobolites in a relatively low-energy environment. Sparry carbonate cortices peeled off from the oncoids were transported to the shallow lake and densely packed with micrites and mud. Based on the degree of covariance between δ18O and δ13C and the wide range of δ18O, the paleo-lake was inferred to be a semi-open, shallow, and hydrologically partitioned lake in the Early Cretaceous, but evolved into a closed but well-mixed lake in the Late Cretaceous. We infer that this change is caused by the aridification in the Late Cretaceous. The Early Cretaceous lacustrine carbonates in the Junggar Basin show overall more positive δ13C than the counterparts in the Upper Cretaceous, which is attributed to the 12CO 2 absorption by microbiota. Sulfate reduction is revealed by negative sulfur isotopes of concomitant thin-layered gypsums but it exerts no measurable impact on the δ13C of the carbonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]