Abstract
BackgroundTan sheep is an indigenous Chinese breed well known for its beautiful curly fleece. One prominent breed characteristic of this sheep breed is that the degree of curliness differs markedly between lambs and adults, but the molecular mechanisms regulating the shift are still not well understood. In this study, we identified 49 differentially expressed (DE) microRNAs (miRNAs) between Tan sheep at the two stages through miRNA-seq, and combined the data with that in our earlier Suppression Subtractive Hybridization cDNA (SSH) library study to elucidate the mechanisms underlying curly fleece formation.ResultsThirty-six potential miRNA-mRNA target pairs were identified using computational methods, including 25 DE miRNAs and 10 DE genes involved in the MAPK signaling pathway, steroid biosynthesis and metabolic pathways. With the differential expressions between lambs and adults confirmed by qRT-PCR, some miRNAs were already annotated in the genome, but some were novel miRNAs. Inhibition of KRT83 expression by miR-432 was confirmed by both gene knockdown with siRNA and overexpression, which was consistent with the miRNAs and targets prediction results.ConclusionOur study represents the comprehensive analysis of mRNA and miRNA in Tan sheep and offers detailed insight into the development of curly fleece as well as the potential mechanisms controlling curly hair formation in humans.
Highlights
Tan sheep is an indigenous Chinese breed well known for its beautiful curly fleece
Our findings suggest that changing levels of skin-specific miRNAs, and miRNA interactions with specific gene targets, are involved in regulation of curly fleece development
Sequencing and analysis of miRNAs obtained from tan sheep In order to study changes in global miRNA expression related to the distinct wool phenotypes exhibited by Chinese Tan lambs and adults, we obtained shoulder skin tissue samples from two animals in each age group
Summary
Tan sheep is an indigenous Chinese breed well known for its beautiful curly fleece. The economic importance of the Tan breed is mainly attributed to the high-quality pelts from one-month-old lambs. These pelts, characterized by lustrous curly fleece of a natural white color after processing, are thin, light, and widely used for the production of luxury apparels. MiRNAs are critical post-transcriptional regulators of hair follicle growth [7,8,9] that regulate gene expression through the RNA interference pathway and are involved in skin development and cell differentiation. By modulating miRNA abundance, it is possible to fine-tune
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