Comparative histomorphometric and transcriptomic analysis reveals potential genetic determinants of pelage variation between hairy and coarse-woolly sheep
Our integrated analysis identifies subcutaneous adiposity and immunoregulation as novel potential key modulators of pelage phenotype divergence between hairy and coarse-woolly sheep-with candidate genes (e.g., KAP20-2, KRT6A, EDA2R) linked to breed-specific fiber traits (e.g., curvature, length). The identified genetic signatures further offer potential actionable targets for precision breeding of climate-resilient and cost-effective sheep, addressing the gap in molecular strategies for pelage-related traits improvement.
Authors
- Changsheng Ge
- Qing Liang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3281-2607)
- Sen Ma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9857-0858)
- Tengyun Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9236-8408)
- Tong Fu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5967-9087)
- Zejun Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9467-9960)
- Yinghua Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0516-4234)
- Xianwei Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1490-8736)
- Peng Xu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1531-5078)
- JI De-jun
- Yulu Zheng
- Jingxin Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7902-1880)
Institutions
- Shandong Province Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Bureau (CN)
- Henan Agricultural University (CN)
- Yangzhou University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Genomics
- Published
- 2025-11-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-025-12260-y
- Primary Topic
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00