Melatonin Regulates the Periodic Growth of Cashmere by Upregulating the Expression of Wnt10b and β-catenin in Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goats.

Junyang Liu,Feifei Zhao,Ruijun Wang,Jinquan Li,Yanjun Zhang,Wendian Gong,Zixian Wu,Zeyu Lu,Jiasen Liu,Yan Wang,Zhihong Liu,Qing Mu,Rui Su,Yanhong Zhao,Hongmei Xiao

doi:10.3389/fgene.2021.665834

Abstract

Secondary hair follicle growth in cashmere goats has seasonal cycle changes, and melatonin (MT) has a regulatory effect on the cashmere growth cycle. In this study, the growth length of cashmere was measured by implanting MT in live cashmere goats. The results indicated that the continuous implantation of MT promoted cashmere to enter the anagen 2 months earlier and induce secondary hair follicle development. HE staining of skin tissues showed that the number of secondary hair follicles in the MT-implanted goats was significantly higher than that in the control goats (P < 0.05). Transcriptome sequencing of the skin tissue of cashmere goats was used to identify differentially expressed genes: 532 in February, 641 in October, and 305 in December. Fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blotting results showed that MT had a significant effect on the expression of Wnt10b, β-catenin, and proteins in the skin tissue of Inner Mongolia cashmere goats. This finding suggested that MT alters the cycle of secondary hair follicle development by changing the expression of related genes. This research lays the foundation for further study on the mechanism by which MT regulates cashmere growth.

Highlights

In China, goat breeds can be divided into dairy type, cashmere type, and meat type according to their economic uses (Watkins and Buxton, 1992)
The present results demonstrates that MT has beneficial effects on secondary hair follicles throughout the life cycle, and by upregulating the expression of genes related to hair follicle development in cashmere goats, MT regulates the periodic growth of cashmere and induces cashmere to enter the growing period in advance
We cautiously conclude that after implantation of MT, hair stromal cells secrete Wnt10b into the extracellular matrix to activate the Wnt10b/β-catenin pathway, thereby changing the expression level of β-catenin

Summary

Introduction

In China, goat breeds can be divided into dairy type, cashmere type, and meat type according to their economic uses (Watkins and Buxton, 1992). A study on the characteristics of cashmere goat coats reported that the complex shape and structure of hair follicles control hair growth. Follicles are divided into primary hair follicles and secondary hair follicles according to different developmental stages. The growth of secondary hair follicles in adult cashmere goats is divided into the following three stages: anagen (from April to November), catagen (from December to January), and telogen (from February to March; Millar, 2002; Watabe et al, 2014; Messenger and Botchkareva, 2017). November may be the transition stage of secondary follicles from anagen to catagen; January is the transition period of secondary follicles from catagen to telogen, and the follicles are still active, which can promote the growth of cashmere and the transition from telogen to anagen

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Conclusion