Identification of Candidate Genes for Min Pig Villi Hair Traits by Genome-Wide Association of Copy Number Variation

The study on Inner Mongolia cashmere goats identified key genes associated with different hair types by analyzing gene expression data from 12-month-old goats with long-hair and short-hair types. Using weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA), researchers identified 19 coexpression modules, with one module showing a strong correlation with hair types. Genes in this module exhibited high expression in long-hair goats and low expression in short-hair goats. The study highlighted the involvement of cellular components and pathways like arginine and proline metabolism and the MAPK signaling pathway. Nine candidate genes, including KRT39 and KRT74, were found to have significant differences in expression between hair types and were positively correlated with hair length, suggesting their role in regulating hair types and potential as molecular markers for hair growth.