Goose is important meat poultry and its growth and development has always been the focus of attention, but the regulation mechanisms of genes and gene network underlying growth and development of goose are still unclear. Three males of large-size Shitou goose and three males of small size Wuzong goose at 5 weeks of age were used for transcriptome analysis with deep sequencing. After slaughter, their pituitary gland was taken for RNA-seq. A total of 290 DEGs were identified by fold change ≥2 and false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05, where there were 148 upregulated genes and 142 downregulated genes in Shitou goose compared to Wuzong goose. Results also showed that the DEGs related to insulin signaling pathway could increase protein synthesis and fat production, and the interaction network of DEGs was mainly related to development, endocrine system, inflammatory diseases, tissue damage and abnormality. The DEGs involved in the growth and function of the pituitary organs may regulate the growth and development of the body by affecting the synthesis and secretion of pituitary hormones. The results of this study will help to understand the regulatory mechanism of goose growth and development.

鹅是重要的肉禽，其生长发育一直是人们关注的焦点，但对鹅生长发育的基因调控机制和基因网络仍不清楚。在5周龄时，将三只雄性大头头鹅和三只小体积乌宗鹅用于深测序的转录组分析。屠宰后，将其垂体用于RNA-seq。通过倍数变化≥2和错误发现率（FDR）<0.05，共鉴定出290个DEG，与乌宗鹅相比，狮头鹅有148个上调基因和142个下调基因。结果还表明，与胰岛素信号通路相关的DEGs可以增加蛋白质合成和脂肪产生，而DEGs的相互作用网络主要与发育，内分泌系统，炎性疾病，组织损伤和异常。参与垂体器官生长和功能的DEG可能通过影响垂体激素的合成和分泌来调节机体的生长和发育。这项研究的结果将有助于了解鹅生长发育的调控机制。