Sex- and Age-Dependent Transcriptomic Profiling of Père David's Deer Blood Reveals Molecular Mechanisms Under Captive Conditions

Blood transcriptomes from 33 individuals (19 males and 14 females) across four developmental stages—Fawn, Sub-adult, Adult, and Old—were sequenced to capture dynamic molecular changes. Our findings highlight distinct metabolic patterns between sexes: males exhibit elevated ion metabolism during infancy, while females show a metabolic peak post-adulthood, with enhanced fat metabolism during infancy.

Time-series and regulatory network analyses indicate that the downregulation of stress-resistance genes such as FOXO is a key molecular driver of aging in this species. This dataset provides valuable insights into the physiological aging processes and sex-specific adaptations of Père David's Deer, contributing essential molecular information for its conservation.