Characterization of Four New Genes in the Ovine KAP19 Family

This study identified four new keratin-associated protein genes in sheep, named sKRTAP19-1, sKRTAP19-2, sKRTAP19-4, and sKRTAP19-6, which are related to previously known sheep and human KRTAP19 genes but show no clear orthologous relationships, indicating complex evolutionary dynamics. Significant nucleotide sequence variation was found, with sKRTAP19-1 having four variants, sKRTAP19-2 five, sKRTAP19-4 five, and sKRTAP19-6 eight, involving both synonymous and non-synonymous SNPs. Unique variants of sKRTAP19-4 and sKRTAP19-6 were identified in Yanchi Tan sheep, sharing similarities with the Romanov sheep genome, suggesting a shared ancestry. These findings reveal substantial genetic diversity in ovine KRTAP19-n genes and provide a basis for future research on their impact on wool fiber characteristics.