Transcriptome comparisons detect new genes associated with apoptosis of cattle and buffaloes preantral follicles.

Apoptotic genes were upregulated in the large preantral follicle compared with the small preantral follicles. Moreover, the expression level of these apoptotic genes was significantly upregulated in buffalo than in the cattle. Most of these genes were significantly upregulated in the large buffalo preantral follicle compared with the small size. However, anti-apoptotic genes were upregulated in large cattle preantral follicle and downregulated in large buffalo preantral follicle.