Abstract
Follistatin (FST) is involved in hair follicle morphogenesis. However, its effects on hair traits are not clear. This study was designed to investigate the effects of FST gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) on wool quality traits in Chinese Merino sheep (Junken Type). We performed gene expression analysis, SNP detection, and association analysis of FST gene with sheep wool quality traits. The real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that FST gene was differentially expressed in adult skin between Chinese Merino sheep (Junken Type) and Suffolk sheep. Immunostaining showed that FST was localized in inner root sheath (IRS) and matrix of hair follicle (HF) in both SF and Suffolk sheep. Sequencing analysis identified a total of seven SNPs (termed SNPs 1–7) in the FST gene in Chinese Merino sheep (Junken Type). Association analysis showed that SNP2 (Chr 16. 25,633,662 G>A) was significantly associated with average wool fiber diameter, wool fineness SD, and wool crimp (P < 0.05). SNP4 (Chr 16. 25,633,569 C>T) was significantly associated with wool fineness SD and CV of fiber diameter (P < 0.05). Similarly, the haplotypes derived from these seven identified SNPs were also significantly associated with average wool fiber diameter, wool fineness SD, CV of fiber diameter, and wool crimp (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that FST influences wool quality traits and its SNPs 2 and 4 might be useful markers for marker-assisted selection and sheep breeding.
Highlights
Sheep (Ovis aries) play an important role in the global agriculture economy being one of the earliest domesticated animal
Strain A was selected for large body size and high wool yield, strain B was selected for long wool fiber, and strain U was selected for long wool fiber, high wool yield, and lower fiber diameter [1]
Correlation analysis showed that skin FST gene expression was positively significantly correlated to the average wool fiber diameter (Pearson’s r = 0.987, P < 0.05), suggesting that FST gene expression variation may contribute to the variation of wool quality traits between SF sheep and Suffolk sheep
Summary
A total of 744 Chinese Merino sheep (Junken Type) were used in this study, from the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science. These sheep were from six strains of Chinese Merino sheep (Junken Type) (strain A (n = 152), strain B (n = 103), the prolific meat strain (PM, n = 134), the prolific wool strain (PW, n = 138), the superfine wool strain (SF, n = 181) and strain U (n = 36)). Sixteen ewes (eight from each of SF and Suffolk sheep) were used for FST gene expression analysis. A total of five traits were measured and recorded: average wool fiber diameter, wool fineness SD, CV of fiber diameter, wool crimp, and wool fiber length
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