Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Critical Genes for the Hair Follicle of Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goat from Catagen to Telogen

The study analyzed the transcriptomes of primary (PHF) and secondary hair follicles (SHF) from three Inner Mongolia Cashmere goats during the catagen and telogen phases. It identified 1977 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PHFs at telogen and catagen phases of SHF, 1199 DEGs between telogen and catagen SHF, 2629 DEGs between PHF at catagen phase of SHF and catagen SHF, and 755 DEGs between PHF at telogen phase of SHF and telogen SHF. The DEGs were associated with muscle contraction and muscle filament sliding, suggesting arrector pili muscles' involvement in phase transitions. The study proposed that PHFs might remain in anagen when SHFs are in catagen and enter telogen when SHFs are in telogen. Key regulatory genes, including IL17RB and eight ZNF members, were highlighted as potential regulators of these transitions, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms of hair follicle phase transitions in these goats.