Effect of Nutritional Restriction on the Hair Follicles Development and Skin Transcriptome of Chinese Merino Sheep

Abstract

The high concentration of secondary branched wool follicles is a distinctive feature of the Merino sheep. At present, the molecular control of the development and branching of secondary wool follicles (SF) remains elusive. To reveal the potential genes associated with the development of hair follicles, we investigated the characteristics of prenatal and postnatal development of wool follicles, and the transcriptional expression profile in fetuses/lambs from dams under either maternal maintenance or sub-maintenance (75% maintenance) nutrition. The density of SF and the ratio of SF to primary wool follicles (PF) were reduced (p < 0.05) in fetuses from day 105 to 135 of gestation under sub-maintenance nutrition. Differentially expressed genes were enriched in the binding, single-organism process, cellular process, cell and cell part Gene Ontology (GO) functional categories and metabolism, apoptosis, and ribosome pathways. Four candidate genes, SFRP4, PITX1, BAMBI, and KRT16, which were involved in secondary wool follicles branching and development, were identified. Our results indicate that nutritional intervention imposed on pregnant ewes by short-term sub-maintenance nutrition could provide a strategy for the study of wool follicle development. Overall insight into the global gene expression associated with SF development can be used to investigate the underlying mechanisms of SF branching in Merino sheep.

In Ovo Injection of CHIR-99021 Promotes Feather Follicle Development via Modulating the Wnt Signaling Pathway and Transcriptome in Goose Embryos (Anser cygnoides)

“…Notably, the first enriched KEGG pathway was ribosomes at both E13 and E25. Similar results were found in a study on the sheep hair follicle; however, Lv et al (2020) reported that the nutrition-driven hair follicle development is associated with the enriched ribosome pathway, which suggests that hair/feather follicle development can be affected by the ribosome pathway. During the embryonic period in birds, rapid morphogenesis, differentiation, and development of various organs require support from cell division, consisting of quick connection of gene expression programs, acceleration of the translation programs, and quick regulation of protein synthesis ( Guo, 2018 ).…”

Identification of Genes Related to Hair Follicle Cycle Development in Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goat by WGCNA

“…It is known that the expression of WNT11 is up-regulated during skin wound healing, indicating that the signal transduction of this gene may be active in the stage of wound healing and play an important role in the regeneration of hair follicles ( 43 ). BAMBI is an inhibitor of TGF-β family members and plays a role in hair follicle development ( 44 ). BAMBI is different in fetal skin, and the expression from 45 days to 135 days increases gradually in the embryonic stage, which is consistent with the development of hair follicles in the embryonic stage and can positively regulate the growth of hair follicles ( 45 ).…”

Whole blood transcriptome profiling identifies candidate genes associated with alopecia in male giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

“…The GO term enrichment of “ribosome” and “structural constituent of ribosome”, and KEGG pathway enrichment of “ribosome” were observed in down-regulated genes. Several studies have identified a connection between the ribosome and hair growth [ 32 – 36 ]. Lv et al found that the ribosome pathway was the most significantly enriched pathway by skin transcriptome analysis and may be related to the development and the density of secondary wool follicles in Chinese Merino sheep [ 32 ].…”

“…Several studies have identified a connection between the ribosome and hair growth [ 32 – 36 ]. Lv et al found that the ribosome pathway was the most significantly enriched pathway by skin transcriptome analysis and may be related to the development and the density of secondary wool follicles in Chinese Merino sheep [ 32 ]. By miRNA sequencing and differentially expressed miRNAs analysis, the ribosome pathway may participate in dermal papilla cells viability and proliferation, and thereby affects hair cycling [ 34 ].…”