Alterations in Methionine Cycle and Wnt/MAPK Signaling Associated with HMBi-Induced Cashmere Growth in Goats

This study on 14 female Liaoning cashmere goats examined the effects of HMBi supplementation on cashmere growth. The results showed that HMBi significantly increased cashmere length and improved quality by reducing diameter. Metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses indicated that HMBi elevated methionine levels and upregulated genes involved in the methionine cycle, cell proliferation, and differentiation. The study also found that HMBi activated the Wnt and MAPK signaling pathways, which are crucial for hair follicle development. These findings suggest that HMBi enhances cashmere growth by influencing methionine metabolism and signaling pathways, offering potential nutritional strategies for boosting cashmere production.