LncRNAs Regulate the Cyclic Growth and Development of Hair Follicles in Dorper Sheep

The study investigated the role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the seasonal cyclic growth and development of hair follicles in Dorper sheep, which leads to hair shedding in spring. Skin samples from five shedding sheep and three non-shedding sheep were collected at three different time points for RNA sequencing. A total of 395 differentially expressed lncRNAs were identified, with two distinct expression patterns corresponding to the anagen and telogen phases of hair growth. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses indicated that these lncRNAs were involved in pathways such as the Estrogen signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, which are known to be related to hair follicle growth. Additionally, 17 pairs of lncRNAs and their target genes were identified and a regulatory network was constructed. These findings suggest that specific lncRNAs play a significant role in the regulation of hair follicle cyclic growth in sheep, offering insights into the genetic mechanisms behind hair growth and shedding.