Variation in the Ovine Trichohyalin Gene and Its Association with Wool Curvature

The study investigated the variation in the ovine trichohyalin (TCHH) gene and its association with wool curvature in sheep. Using PCR-single stranded conformational polymorphism analysis, three sequence variants (A, B, and C) were identified in 210 sheep, with frequencies of 59.0%, 36.9%, and 4.1%, respectively. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found, one in intron 2 and a non-synonymous SNP in exon 3, which resulted in an amino acid change. The study found that progeny inheriting variant A produced wool with lower mean fibre curvature compared to those inheriting variant B, suggesting that variation in the TCHH gene affects wool curvature. No effects on other wool traits were observed.