Background Wool fibers are valuable materials for textile industry.Typical wool fibers are divided into medullated and non-medullated types,with the former generated from primary wool follicles and the latter by eithe...Background Wool fibers are valuable materials for textile industry.Typical wool fibers are divided into medullated and non-medullated types,with the former generated from primary wool follicles and the latter by either primary or secondary wool follicles.The medullated wool is a common wool type in the ancestors of fine wool sheep before breeding.The fine wool sheep have a non-medullated coat.However,the critical period determining the type of wool follicles is the embryonic stage,which limits the phenotypic observation and variant contrast,making both selection and studies of wool type variation fairly difficult.Results During the breeding of a modern fine(MF)wool sheep population with multiple-ovulation and embryo transfer technique,we serendipitously discovered lambs with ancestral-like coarse(ALC)wool.Whole-genome rese-quencing confirmed ALC wool lambs as a variant type from the MF wool population.We mapped the significantly associated methylation locus on chromosome 4 by using whole genome bisulfite sequencing signals,and in turn identified the SOSTDC1 gene as exons hypermethylated in ALC wool lambs compare to their half/full sibling MF wool lambs.Transcriptome sequencing found that SOSTDC1 was expressed dozens of times more in ALC wool lamb skin than that of MF and was at the top of all differentially expressed genes.An analogy with the transcriptome of coarse/fine wool breeds revealed that differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways at postnatal lamb stage in ALC/MF were highly similar to those at the embryonic stage in the former.Further experiments validated that the SOSTDC1 gene was specifically highly expressed in the nucleus of the dermal papilla of primary wool follicles.Conclusion In this study,we conducted genome-wide differential methylation site association analysis on differen-tial wool type trait,and located the only CpG locus that strongly associated with primary wool follicle development.Combined with transcriptome analysis,SOSTDC1 was identified as the only gene at this locus that was specifically overexpressed in the primary wool follicle stem cells of ALC wool lamb skin.The discovery of this key gene and its epigenetic regulation contributes to understanding the domestication and breeding of fine wool sheep.展开更多
滤泡调节性T细胞(follicular regulatory T cells,Tfr)伴随着生发中心(germinal centers,GC)反应生成,而促使Tfr细胞形成的分子线索仍然未知。本课题组研究发现硬化蛋白结构域蛋白1(sclerostin domain-containing protein 1,SOSTDC1)是...滤泡调节性T细胞(follicular regulatory T cells,Tfr)伴随着生发中心(germinal centers,GC)反应生成,而促使Tfr细胞形成的分子线索仍然未知。本课题组研究发现硬化蛋白结构域蛋白1(sclerostin domain-containing protein 1,SOSTDC1)是Tfr细胞生成所必需的,由滤泡辅助性T细胞(follicular helper T cells,Tfh)亚群以及T-B边界区域丰富的成纤维网状基质细胞(fibroblastic reticular cells,FRCs)分泌。在动物实验(小鼠)中,运用命运示踪法和转录组学明确了表达SOSTDC1的Tfh细胞为一个独特的T细胞群,它由SOSTDC1阴性的Tfh细胞发育形成,失去了帮助B细胞产生抗体的功能。值得注意的是,Tfh细胞中SOSTDC1缺失将导致Tfr细胞数量显著减少,进而促进GC反应升高。在机制上,SOSTDC1通过阻断WNT-β-catenin信号轴,促进Tfr细胞分化。展开更多
基金the programs of National Key R&D Program of China(2021YFF1000700)National Natural Science Foundation of China(32002145)+1 种基金the Major Project for Cultivation Technology of New Varieties of Genetically Modified Organisms of the Ministry of Agriculture(grant Nos.2016ZX08008-001 and 2013ZX08008-001)Ningxia Agricultural Breeding Project(NXNYYZ2015010).
文摘Background Wool fibers are valuable materials for textile industry.Typical wool fibers are divided into medullated and non-medullated types,with the former generated from primary wool follicles and the latter by either primary or secondary wool follicles.The medullated wool is a common wool type in the ancestors of fine wool sheep before breeding.The fine wool sheep have a non-medullated coat.However,the critical period determining the type of wool follicles is the embryonic stage,which limits the phenotypic observation and variant contrast,making both selection and studies of wool type variation fairly difficult.Results During the breeding of a modern fine(MF)wool sheep population with multiple-ovulation and embryo transfer technique,we serendipitously discovered lambs with ancestral-like coarse(ALC)wool.Whole-genome rese-quencing confirmed ALC wool lambs as a variant type from the MF wool population.We mapped the significantly associated methylation locus on chromosome 4 by using whole genome bisulfite sequencing signals,and in turn identified the SOSTDC1 gene as exons hypermethylated in ALC wool lambs compare to their half/full sibling MF wool lambs.Transcriptome sequencing found that SOSTDC1 was expressed dozens of times more in ALC wool lamb skin than that of MF and was at the top of all differentially expressed genes.An analogy with the transcriptome of coarse/fine wool breeds revealed that differentially expressed genes and enriched pathways at postnatal lamb stage in ALC/MF were highly similar to those at the embryonic stage in the former.Further experiments validated that the SOSTDC1 gene was specifically highly expressed in the nucleus of the dermal papilla of primary wool follicles.Conclusion In this study,we conducted genome-wide differential methylation site association analysis on differen-tial wool type trait,and located the only CpG locus that strongly associated with primary wool follicle development.Combined with transcriptome analysis,SOSTDC1 was identified as the only gene at this locus that was specifically overexpressed in the primary wool follicle stem cells of ALC wool lamb skin.The discovery of this key gene and its epigenetic regulation contributes to understanding the domestication and breeding of fine wool sheep.
文摘滤泡调节性T细胞(follicular regulatory T cells,Tfr)伴随着生发中心(germinal centers,GC)反应生成,而促使Tfr细胞形成的分子线索仍然未知。本课题组研究发现硬化蛋白结构域蛋白1(sclerostin domain-containing protein 1,SOSTDC1)是Tfr细胞生成所必需的,由滤泡辅助性T细胞(follicular helper T cells,Tfh)亚群以及T-B边界区域丰富的成纤维网状基质细胞(fibroblastic reticular cells,FRCs)分泌。在动物实验(小鼠)中,运用命运示踪法和转录组学明确了表达SOSTDC1的Tfh细胞为一个独特的T细胞群,它由SOSTDC1阴性的Tfh细胞发育形成,失去了帮助B细胞产生抗体的功能。值得注意的是,Tfh细胞中SOSTDC1缺失将导致Tfr细胞数量显著减少,进而促进GC反应升高。在机制上,SOSTDC1通过阻断WNT-β-catenin信号轴,促进Tfr细胞分化。
