High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals miRNAs Affecting Follicle Development in Chicken

In a 2017 study, researchers used high-throughput sequencing to investigate the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in the development of hair follicles in 13-day-old chicken embryos from two breeds with notably different feather curling: Kirin and Huaixiang chickens. They identified 645 miRNAs, with 11 showing differential expression (>±2 fold change, p-value <0.05) between the two breeds. The study revealed that these miRNAs are involved in various biological processes and signaling pathways, including WNT, BMP, and TGF-β, which are crucial for hair follicle development. Specifically, miR-1623 was found to affect WNT4 and play a role in hair follicle cell development. This research provides insights into miRNAs associated with chicken embryonic hair follicle development and identifies potential targets for further investigation into their influence on feather growth.