A homozygous missense mutation in the fibroblast growth factor 5 gene is associated with the long-hair trait in Angora rabbits

Abstract

Background Rabbits are well-domesticated animals. As a crucial economic animal, rabbit has been successfully bred into wool-use, meat-use and fur-use breeds. Hair length is one of the most economically important traits affecting profitability in wool rabbits. In this study, to identify selection signatures with the long-hair trait, whole-genomic resequencing of long-haired rabbits (Angora rabbits) and short-haired rabbits (Rex and New Zealand rabbits) was performed. Results By genome-wide selective sweeping analysis based on population comparison, we identified a total of 5.85 Mb regions (containing 174 candidate genes) with strong selection signals. Six of these genes (Dusp1, Ihh, Fam134a, Map3k1, Spata16, and Fgf5) were enriched in the MAPK signalling and Hedgehog signalling pathways, both of which are closely associated with hair growth regulation. Among these genes, Fgf5 encodes the FGF5 protein, which is a well-established regulator of hair growth. There was a nonsynonymous nucleotide substitution (T19234C) in the Fgf5 gene. At this locus, the C allele was present in all of the tested Angora rabbits, while the T allele was dominant in New Zealand and Rex rabbits. We further confirmed that the C allele was conserved in Angora rabbits by screening an additional 135 rabbits. Moreover, the results of functional predictions and co-immunoprecipitation revealed that the T19234C mutation impaired the binding capacity of FGF5 to its receptor FGFR1. Conclusions We discovered that the homozygous missense mutation T19234C within Fgf5 might contribute to the long-hair trait of Angora rabbits by reducing its receptor binding capacity. This finding will provide new insights into the genetic basis underlying the genetic improvement of Angora rabbits and benefit the improvement of rabbit breeding in the future.

Regulation of Hair Follicle Growth and Development by Different Alternative Spliceosomes of FGF5 in Rabbits

“…FGF5, as a hair growth regulator, inhibits hair growth during the ana The FGF-5S protein significantly inhibited FGF5 activity in macrophages and hair growth on rat skin [39]. A missense mutation in FGF5 caused large differen growth between breeds of dogs [40] and rabbits [41]. The effect of the FGF5 ge growth has been extensively studied in many species.…”

Integration Analysis of Hair Follicle Transcriptome and Proteome Reveals the Mechanisms Regulating Wool Fiber Diameter in Angora Rabbits

“…Wool growth is regulated by various molecules and signaling pathways, including fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), as well as Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) and MAPK signaling [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Polymorphisms in FGF5 , slit guidance ligand 3 ( SLIT3 ), and zinc finger protein 280B ( ZNF280B ) have been associated with variations in wool fiber diameter [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Proteins constitute the fundamental components of hair fibers, with wool primarily consisting of proteins that account for 90–95% of the fiber [ 22 , 23 ].…”

Polymorphism within IGFBP Genes Affects the Acidity, Colour, and Shear Force of Rabbit Meat

“…The domestication process led to multi-purpose species, which include many breeds and lines with broad phenotypical traits. In addition to being used as meat species, rabbits are bred as fancy rabbits and wool-use and fur-use rabbits [6,7]. The meat of rabbits, because of its composition, especially the content of easily digestible proteins (about 20-22%), is considered a healthy food with consumer benefits.…”

“…The meat of rabbits, because of its composition, especially the content of easily digestible proteins (about 20-22%), is considered a healthy food with consumer benefits. Also, its "functional" food properties qualify rabbits as sources of precious and valuable meat [8] For rabbits, a GWAS was successfully used to identify the genetic background of the long-hair trait of Angora rabbits [7] and also for signatures of selection in fancy rabbits, like coat colour and pattern and body size [6]. There are also reports of using this method for meat-type rabbits [9][10][11][12].…”