Objective   Regulating functions of goose liver were studied by genetic analyses before and after the birds started egg-laying.

  Method   RNA-Seq technology was employed to obtain the transcriptome of the liver tissue of Taizhou goose before and after egg-laying. The results were verified using a qRT-PCR method and followed by the Go annotation and KEGG analysis to determine the functions of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs).

  Result  After an initial quality control screening on the raw RNA-Seq data, 73 596 894 to 79 837 756 clean reads were secured from 6 liver specimens. Based on the estimated quantitative FPKM value, 100 upregulated and 102 downregulated genes were identified. By GO annotation, all DEGs were enriched into 42 categories of biological functions. The KEGG analysis found 63 pathways including 5 significant ones that associated with the drug metabolism-cytochrome P450, nitrogen metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, retinol metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis. These pathways are known to closely relate to lipid metabolism and reproduction regulation.

  Conclusion   The RNA-Seq transcriptomes on the Taizhou goose livers sampled before and after the start of egg-laying indicated that the enriched DEGs mostly involved the lipid metabolism and reproduction process. The information would support further studies on and breeding of Taizhou geese.