Metallothionein Expression During Wool Follicle Development in Fetal Sheep

The study investigated the expression of metallothionein (MT) during wool follicle development in fetal sheep. MT, known for detoxifying heavy metals, was found to have increased staining intensity with developmental stages and decreased with morphological and functional maturation. The research suggested a possible role for MT in cellular proliferation and differentiation, as evidenced by strong MT signals in various tissues undergoing active cell proliferation, such as regenerating liver and spermatogenic cells in rat testis. The findings indicated that MT might be associated with the proliferation and differentiation of hair follicle cells, similar to its role in other rapidly proliferating tissues.