Tβ4-Overexpression Based on the PiggyBac Transposon System in Cashmere Goats Alters Hair Fiber Characteristics
November 2016
in “
Transgenic research
”
TLDR Overexpressing Tβ4 in cashmere goats improves hair fiber traits and increases cashmere yield.
The study investigated the use of the piggyBac transposon system to overexpress thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) in cashmere goats, aiming to enhance hair fiber characteristics. Researchers produced five transgenic goats using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and found that these goats exhibited a higher secondary to primary hair follicle (S/P) ratio compared to wild type goats, indicating an increased number of secondary hair follicles (SHF). The findings suggested that Tβ4-overexpression could be a viable method to increase cashmere yield by improving hair fiber traits such as length and diameter.
