Characterization and Functional Analysis of the WIF1 Gene and Its Role in Hair Follicle Growth and Development of the Angora Rabbit

September 2022 in “ World Rabbit Science ”

Bohao Zhao, Jiali Li, Xiyu Zhang, Zhiyuan Bao, Yang Chen, Xinsheng Wu

WIF1 gene hair follicle HF growth LEF1 CCND1 β-catenin/TCF transcriptional activity cell apoptosis cellular proliferation

This study investigated the WIF1 gene in Angora rabbits and its role in hair follicle (HF) growth and development, which is crucial for rabbit wool yield. The WIF1 gene, with a coding sequence of 1140 bp encoding 379 amino acids, was found to be unstable, hydrophilic, and located extracellularly. It showed high homology across mammals. WIF1 was significantly downregulated in high wool-producing rabbits. Functional analyses revealed that WIF1 regulates HF growth-related genes and proteins, such as LEF1 and CCND1, by activating β-catenin/TCF transcriptional activity, promoting cell apoptosis, and inhibiting cellular proliferation. These findings suggest that WIF1 is important for HF development, providing a basis for further research on HF growth.

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