本研究首先通过对产蛋前期（15周龄）和产蛋高峰期（30周龄）卢氏绿壳蛋鸡（LS）下丘脑比较转录组分析，鉴定差异表达基因（DEGs）；然后利用Gene Ontology (GO)富集分析，筛选DEGs中参与繁殖调控生物学过程（BP）的基因；进而通过蛋白质互作网络（PPI）分析，筛选调控繁殖过程的潜在核心候选基因（PCCGs）。在此基础上，利用qRT-PCR对PCCGs在两个地方鸡品种产蛋前期（15周龄）和产蛋高峰期（30周龄）下丘脑中表达水平的变化趋势进行分析，进而对基因表达量与30周龄产蛋数（EN30w）和血液繁殖激素水平的相关性分析，筛选影响地方鸡产蛋性能的关键基因；最后，从这些关键基因中筛选单核苷酸多态性位点（SNPs），并与不同时期产蛋数进行关联分析，进一步确定这些关键基因中影响产蛋的潜在SNP位点。产蛋前期和产蛋高峰期LS下丘脑比较转录组分析共鉴定出518个DEGs。对这些DEGs功能富集分析发现，10个BP中包含的64个DEGs可能通过神经内分泌过程参与鸡繁殖调控。进一步的PPI分析发现，64个DEGs中有16个高连接度（Degree≥12）的基因，即PCCGs。对这16个PCCGs在LS和固始鸡（GS）产蛋前期和产蛋高峰期下丘脑中的表达模式检测发现，其中的11个PCCGs在两品种两个时期下丘脑的表达水平差异显著（P<0.05），且变化趋势相同。在上述11个基因中，有8个基因的表达量与EN30w和血清生殖激素浓度呈显著相关（P<0.05）。8个基因中筛选的SNP位点与产蛋性状的关联分析表明，这8个基因与不同阶段的产蛋量存在显著相关（P<0.05），是调控地方鸡产蛋性能的关键基因。本研究鉴定出参与地方鸡产蛋调控的8个关键基因，包括CNR1、AP2M1、NRXN1、ANXA5、PENK、SLC1A2、SNAP25和TRH。这些发现为进一步理解鸡产蛋性能调控机制提供了新见解，并为地方鸡繁殖性能选育提供了可能的分子标记。

Paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 1 (PITX1) plays an important role in pituitary development by indirectly regulating the expression of the GH and PRL genes, and therefore PITX1 gene is regarded as a potential candidate gene for building the relationship between the gene polymorphism and milk traits. The aim of this study was to explore the novel genetic variant in PITX1 gene and its effect on milk performance in dairy goats. Herein, a novel genetic variation (NW_00314033: g.201G>A or IVS1+41G>A) located at nt41 position of the first intron of the goat PITX1 gene was reported at the P1 locus, which can be genotyped by the Msp I PCR-RFLP. In the Msp I PCR-RFLP analyis, the GG variant was a major genotype, and the A variant was a minor allele in Guanzhong dairy goats which was at Hardy-Weinberg disequilibrium (chi-square c2=140, P<0.01). The establishment of associations between different genotypes and milk performance was performed in the analyzed population. A total of three significant associations of the polymorphism with average milk fat content (%) (P=0.045), morning milk fat content (%) (P=0.049), and afternoon milk fat content (%) (P=0.050), were found, respectively. A significant relationship between the polymorphism and average total solid content (P=0.029) was also detected. This novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) extended the spectrum of genetic variation of the goat PITX1 gene, and its significant association with milk performance would benefit from the application of DNA markers related to improving milk performance through marker-assisted selection (MAS) in dairy goats.