Keratin Gene Expression in Wool Fibre Development
January 1988
TLDR Only two of the four keratin genes are expressed in wool fibers.
The study investigated keratin gene expression in wool fiber development, focusing on the wool keratin IF type II gene family. Researchers identified four major proteins in this family and isolated four closely-related genes, sequencing two completely and the 5′ ends of the others. Despite the expectation that all four genes would be expressed in wool fibers, analyses showed that only two were expressed in the wool follicle. Preliminary in situ hybridization confirmed the expression of these genes in both ortho- and paracortical cell types of fine Merino wool, highlighting a complex regulation of keratin gene expression during fiber development.
