Identification of the KAP27-1 Gene in Sheep and Its Effect on Wool Traits

The study identified the KRTAP27-1 gene in sheep, a gene previously found in goats, which is involved in the structure of wool and hair fibers. Researchers analyzed 399 New Zealand Merino × Southdown-cross sheep and discovered four sequence variants (A to D) of the gene, which included five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), two of which were non-synonymous. They found six different genotypes (AA, AB, AC, BB, BC, and BD) and observed that sheep with genotypes AB and BB had wool with a higher mean staple length (MSL) and greater greasy fleece weight (GFW) compared to genotype AA. This suggests that the KRTAP27-1 gene variations may influence wool growth and production in sheep.