Differential Gene Expression Analysis of Oocytes in a PCOS Mouse Model Revealed the Relation of Ribosomal Pathway

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common endocrinal disorder, is associated with impaired oocyte development, which leads to infertility. However, the pathogenesis of PCOS has not been completely elucidated. This study aimed to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and epigenetic changes in the oocytes of the PCOS mouse model to identify the etiological factors. In this study, RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that 90 DEGs were upregulated and 27 DEGs were downregulated in the PCOS mouse model. DNA methylation analysis revealed 30 hypomethylated and 10 hypermethylated regions in the PCOS group. However, the DNA methylation status was not correlated with differential gene expression. The pathway enrichment analysis revealed that five DEGs (Rps21, Rpl36, Rpl36a, Rpl37a, and Rpl22l1) were enriched in ribosome-related pathways in the oocytes of the PCOS mouse model, and the immunohistochemical analysis revealed significantly upregulated expression levels of Rps21 and Rpl36. These results suggest that differential gene expression in the oocytes of the PCOS mouse model is related to impaired folliculogenesis. These findings improved our understanding of the pathogenesis of PCOS.