China Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine ›› 2022, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (11): 4296-4306.doi: 10.16431/j.cnki.1671-7236.2022.11.020

• Genetics and Breeding • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Induction of Secondary Hair Follicle Morphogenesis in Ordos Fine Wool Sheep Based on Single-cell Transcriptome Sequencing Technology

HE Xue1,2, GU Ying3, SIDENG Danba3, DE Dema3, DOU Xiaoning2, WU Yi2, LEI Zhihui2, PAN Heping1, YUE Yaojing1,2   

  1. 1. College of Life Science and Engineering, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou 730030, China;
    2. Lanzhou Institute of Husbandry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730050, China;
    3. Erdos Institute of Animal Husbandry Science, Erdos 017100, China
  • Received:2022-03-25 Online:2022-11-05 Published:2022-11-04

Abstract: 【Objective】 The purpose of this experiment was to analyze the molecular characteristics and differentiation process of main cell types in the morphogenesis of the secondary hair follicles in Erdos fine wool sheep during the embryonic stage.【Method】 HE staining was performed on skin samples from the lateral part (posterior edge of scapula) of 87 fetal age of 3 Ordos fine wool sheep to identify the development period of hair follicles.Single-cell transcriptome sequence (scRNA-Seq) was performed on some skin samples after mixing.Cell clusters were analyzed by t-distributed stochastic Neigh or embedding (tSNE), and dermal lineage cells and epidermal lineage cells were identified by Col1a1 and Krt15 genes, respectively.The marker genes of different skin cells were used for cell type analysis.The sequence data were analyzed to explore the expression of differential genes in the process of differentiation.The function of the gene was further verified by GO function enrichment analysis.【Result】 HE staining results showed that Ordos fine wool sheep were in the secondary hair follicle induction stage at 87 days of gestational age. 10 603 cells and 18 704 genes were obtained by scRNA-Seq in skin cell samples from the body side of fine wool sheep at 87 days of gestational age could be used for downstream analysis.Based on tSNE analysis, 15 cell clusters were found in scRNA-Seq data.The identification of Col1a1 and Krt15 marker genes showed that dermal and epidermal cells were highly heterogeneous.The differentiation trajectories and dynamic gene expression profiles of dermal/epidermal cell lineage in the process of hair follicle morphogenesis were constructed by quasi-sequential analysis, during the differentiation of dermal lineate cells from fibroblast (Fb) to mature dermal condensates (DC), several different stage marker genes FST recombinant protein (Fst), inhibin subunit βα(Inhba) and transcriptional repressor GATA binding 1(Trps1) were specifically expressed on the quasisequential track, and Wnt, Noggin, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and other signaling pathways related to hair follicle morphogenesis were enriched.During the differentiation of epidermal lineage cells, the marker genes Krt10, HOXC13 and SHH of matrix and interfollicle epidermis (IFE) were specifically expressed in both branches of the quasi-sequential trajectory of epidermal lineage cells, and the pathways related to cell proliferation and cell adhesion were enriched.【Conclusion】 The results showed that dermal lineage cells differentiated from Fb to DC during the induction of the secondary hair follicles in fine wool sheep.Epidermal lineage cells were in the stage of proliferation and differentiation of epidermal cells between matrix and hair follicle.The results of this study could enrich people's understanding of the morphogenesis of the secondary hair follicles in fine wool sheep, and provide strong theoretical and technical support for the breeding of Ordos fine wool sheep.

Key words: Ordos fine wool sheep; secondary hair follicles; single-cell transcriptome sequence(scRNA-Seq); hair follicle development

CLC Number: