A Comparison of Transcriptomic Patterns Measured in the Skin of Chinese Fine and Coarse Wool Sheep Breeds

The study compared wool traits and skin gene expression profiles between fine wool Super Merino (SM) and coarse wool Small Tail Han (STH) sheep. SM sheep exhibited higher wool follicle density, heavier fleeces, finer fibers, increased crimp frequency, longer staple length, and more wool grease production. A total of 435 genes were found to be differentially expressed between the two breeds, with 127 genes more highly expressed in SM and 308 in STH sheep. SM sheep had higher expression of lipid metabolic genes, keratins, keratin-associated proteins, and wool follicle stem cell markers, while STH sheep showed higher expression of genes related to skin cornification and muscle function. These findings suggest potential targets for breeding programs or interventions to modify wool quality or yield, and indicate that lipid metabolic gene expression in sheep skin could be a novel trait for altering lanolin content or fleece properties.