Hair Follicle Transcriptome Profiles During the Transition from Anagen to Catagen in Cashmere Goat (Capra Hircus)

In a study from 2015, researchers used Illumina sequencing technology to analyze the transcriptome profiles of primary and secondary hair follicles in Cashmere goats during the transition from the anagen (growth) phase to the catagen (regression) phase. They assembled 13,769 unigenes from primary hair follicles and 12,240 from secondary hair follicles, finding that genes related to keratin and keratin-associated proteins were the most highly expressed. There were 5,899 genes differentially expressed in primary hair follicles and 5,208 in secondary hair follicles between the anagen and catagen phases, with a subset of 73 genes co-up-regulated in both follicle types during anagen. These included genes like STC2, VEGFR, and ROR2, which are involved in cell differentiation and the cell cycle. This data provides a basis for further research into the genetic regulation of the hair growth cycle in Cashmere goats.