Abstract
Keratin-associated proteins are important components of wool fibers. The gene encoding the high-sulfur keratin-associated protein 2-1 has been described in humans, but it has not been described in sheep. A basic local alignment search tool nucleotide search of the Ovine Genome Assembly version 4.0 using a human keratin-associated protein 2-1 gene sequence revealed a 399-base pair open reading frame, which was clustered among nine previously identified keratin-associated protein genes on chromosome 11. Polymerase chain reaction–single strand conformation polymorphism analysis revealed four different banding patterns, with these representing four different sequences (A–D) in Chinese sheep breeds. These sequences had the highest similarity to human keratin-associated protein 2-1 gene, suggesting that they represent variants of ovine keratin-associated protein 2-1 gene. Nine single nucleotide variations were detected in the gene, including one non-synonymous nucleotide substitution. Differences in variant frequencies between fine-wool sheep breeds and coarse-wool sheep breeds were detected. The gene was found to be expressed in various tissues, with the highest expression level in skin, and moderate expression levels in heart and lung tissue. These results reveal that the ovine keratin-associated protein 2-1 gene is variable and suggest the gene might affect variation in mean fiber diameter.
Highlights
Keratins and keratin-associated proteins are the main structural components of wool fibers.The keratins form the keratin intermediate filaments, while the keratin-associated proteins form a matrix that cross-links the filaments
This study identified a new ovine keratin-associated protein gene encoding a high-sulfur keratin-associated protein
This study identified a new ovine proteinknown gene encoding a high-sulfur genes on sheep chromosome was located at awith previously unannotated position, and had a keratin-associated protein
Summary
Jianqing Wang 1,2 , Huitong Zhou 1,2,3 , Jon G. H. Hickford 1,2,3 , Yuzhu Luo 1,2 , Hua Gong 1,2,3 , Jiang Hu 1,2 , Xiu Liu 1,2 , Shaobin Li 1,2 , Yize Song 1,2 , Na Ke 1,2 , Lirong Qiao 1,2 and Jiqing Wang 1,2, *. International Wool Research Institute, Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural. Gene-Marker Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, Lincoln 7647, New Zealand
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