42 citations
,
January 2017 in “Genes” This study observed that genetic variation in the ovine KRTAP22-1 gene is linked to increased wool yield and decreased fiber curvature in sheep, indicating its potential use in breeding programs.
51 citations
,
January 2007 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study identified a novel keratin-associated protein, KAP24.1, which is specifically expressed in the human scalp and located in the hair cuticle.
In this study, researchers successfully cloned the KAP24.1 gene from sheep to analyze its expression in skin and hair follicles, finding that Mountain-type Hetian sheep showed the highest levels of expression and that androgen concentration significantly influenced KAP24.1 protein expression.
July 2022 in “New Zealand journal of agricultural research” This study found that variation in the ovine KRTAP27-1 gene may influence wool growth, with certain genotypes associated with higher mean staple length and greasy fleece weight in sheep.
51 citations
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September 2012 in “Gene” In this study, researchers identified a putative ovine KAP24-1 gene in sheep, revealing four unique DNA sequences with some similarity to KRTAP24-1 sequences from other species.
50 citations
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July 2008 in “British Journal of Dermatology” 7 citations
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July 2019 in “Animals” This study identified a new ovine KRTAP21-1 gene variant in sheep, with wool yield affected by the variant, suggesting its potential as a genetic marker for improving wool production.
3 citations
,
August 2022 in “Archives animal breeding/Archiv für Tierzucht” This study found that specific genetic variants of the KAP22-1 gene in Egyptian sheep breeds were significantly associated with wool traits like crimp, staple length, kemp score, and greasy color grade, suggesting their potential use in breeding programs.
This study analyzed the genetic variations of the KAP20-1 gene in Chinese Tan sheep lambs and found that the G variant was linked to an increased mean fibre curvature in their fine wool fibres, potentially influencing breeding strategies for this wool trait.
62 citations
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January 2004 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study identified 16 novel high sulfur KAP genes and two KAP pseudogenes on chromosome 21q23, showing expression in a specific region of the hair fiber cuticle.
September 2025 in “Animals” This study identified novel genetic variations in the KRTAP22-2 gene among eight sheep breeds but found no association between these genotypes and wool fibre traits, indicating possible species-specific differences compared to goats.
1 citations
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September 2023 in “Animals” This study found that genetic variants in the goat KRTAP22-2 gene are associated with the mean fiber diameter of cashmere in Longdong Cashmere goats, suggesting these variants could serve as molecular markers for improving cashmere traits.
November 2025 in “BMC Genomics” This study identified genetic differences between Australian White Sheep and Hu Sheep that may explain their distinct pelage types, with a focus on subcutaneous adiposity and immunoregulation. The findings suggest potential targets for breeding climate-resilient sheep, enhancing our understanding of heat tolerance in these breeds.
3 citations
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October 2024 in “Animals” In this proteomic analysis, the researchers found that transitioning from crimped to straight wool in Tan sheep is linked to significant changes in wool protein expression, revealing distinct patterns of keratins and keratin-associated proteins that could influence wool quality and economic value.
98 citations
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June 2001 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry” This study identified a cluster of genes on chromosome 17 related to hair keratin-associated proteins, including 37 genes forming seven multigene families, localized in the hair shaft's upper cortex.
30 citations
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March 2019 in “Archives animal breeding/Archiv für Tierzucht” In this study, variation in the KRTAP15-1 gene in goats was linked to changes in cashmere fibre diameter, with specific variants showing dominant or recessive effects.
16 citations
,
September 2017 in “PLoS ONE” This study hypothesizes that a mummified 19th Century girl in San Francisco died of severe undernourishment potentially due to a bacterial-borne disease, highlighting historical health challenges mitigated by modern sanitation and medicine.
This study used proteomic profiling to reveal significant individual and site-specific differences in human hair shaft proteins, which may improve the differentiation of hair based on ethnic origin and individual identity.
70 citations
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December 2004 in “Differentiation” This study identifies six novel keratin genes from the chromosome 17q21.2 region, suggesting their association with hair follicles, while all 27 keratin genes in the domain have been characterized transcriptionally.
This study found considerable variation in hair shaft proteomic profiles among Caucasian, African-American, Kenyan, and Korean subjects, with individual and site-specific differences observed.
100 citations
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December 2002 in “Journal of biological chemistry/The Journal of biological chemistry” This study identified a domain on human chromosome 21q22.1 containing various high glycine-tyrosine and high sulfur keratin-associated protein genes, revealing their diverse expression in hair-forming cells.
29 citations
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September 2017 in “Genes” This study found that in Merino-Southdown cross sheep, the presence of the C variant of the KRTAP26-1 gene was associated with higher wool quality, including increased wool yield and staple length.
18 citations
,
September 2018 in “The Journal of Agricultural Science” In this study, the presence of certain KAP15-1 gene variants in sheep was associated with differences in wool yield and fiber characteristics.
26 citations
,
January 2011 in “Open Journal of Genetics” In this study, researchers identified five unique sequences of the ovine KAP13-3 gene, with potential implications for wool traits due to observed amino acid changes.
27 citations
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June 2005 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology” This study identified numerous size polymorphisms in the human ultrahigh sulfur KAP4 genes due to intragenic sequence variations, suggesting these polymorphisms may have arisen through deletions and duplications during evolution.
48 citations
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February 2010 in “Molecular biology reports” This study found that KAP7.1 and KAP8.2 genes were significantly more expressed in secondary hair follicles than primary follicles, suggesting their role in regulating cashmere fiber diameter.
13 citations
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September 2018 in “Scientific Reports” In this study, researchers found that microRNAs and specific target genes, such as MiR-195 and genes like CHP1, SMAD2, FZD6, and SIAH1, play significant roles in regulating hair follicle initiation in cashmere goats.
2 citations
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September 2022 in “Frontiers in genetics” This study found that cashmere has a significantly smaller mean fiber diameter compared to sheep and goat wool, and identified key proteins that may influence this difference.
1 citations
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August 2019 in “Research Square (Research Square)” In this study, researchers found that the cashmere hair growth cycle is divided into three periods and key genes like KAP and KRTAP are positively correlated with these cycles in cashmere goats.
January 2023 in “Czech Journal of Animal Science” This study found that down and guard hairs of Inner Mongolia Cashmere Goats have distinct protein compositions and physical properties, with keratin-related proteins potentially influencing these differences.