脑源性神经营养因子（BDNF）是神经营养素家族成员之一，其主要作用是调节神经细胞功能。近年来国内外文献报道了BDNF在动物繁殖过程中的某些作用，如促进卵泡发育、卵母细胞成熟、受精卵发育等。本课题组曾首次研究了BDNF及其受体TrkB在母猪生殖系统中的表达规律，发现卵泡颗粒细胞能分泌BDNF，并且BDNF能促进卵泡颗粒细胞增殖。进一步研究表明，BDNF可通过调节颗粒细胞中miRNA-205来促进猪卵母细胞成熟。然而，BDNF调节猪卵泡颗粒细胞增殖的机制尚不清楚。因此，本项目通过miRNAs高通量测序、细胞转染、CRISPR/Cas9等技术，从miRNAs角度，研究BDNF在猪卵泡颗粒细胞增殖中的作用机制，为阐明BDNF在母猪卵泡发育中的作用机理提供理论依据，期望为提高母猪卵泡发育效率提供新的调节途径。

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a member of neurotrophins, which is required for nervous cell survival. Recent evidences have shown that BDNF plays important roles in animal reproduction, for example, facilitating follicular development, oocyte maturation, zygote development. Our laboratory firstly reported the expression of BDNF in porcine reproductive tissues and BDNF secreted by follicular granulosa cells could promote proliferation of follicular granulosa cells. Furthermore, BDNF could regulate oocyte maturation through downregulating miRNA-205. However, there is not any evidence on the regulation of BDNF in follicular granulosa cells. Techniques of miRNA-sequencing, cell transfection, CRISPR/Cas9, etc., will be used to study the regulatory mechanism of BDNF on proliferation of granulosa cells through miRNAs pathway. The project will provide new theoretical evidences for the role of BDNF in the development of ovarian follicle, and further provide potentially new ways for improvement of follicular development.