Melatonin promotes the proliferation of dermal papilla cells in cashmere goats via activation of chi-let-7d-5p/WNT2 axis

Junyang Liu; Bin Liu; Qing Mu; Jiasen Liu; Yunhua Li; Wendian Gong; Tergel Chahaer; Yukun Song; Erhan Hai; Haoyuan Wang; Yanjun Zhang; Yanhong Zhao

doi:10.1016/j.ygeno.2024.110961

Melatonin promotes the proliferation of dermal papilla cells in cashmere goats via activation of chi-let-7d-5p/WNT2 axis

Genomics. 2024 Nov 20:110961. doi: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2024.110961. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Junyang Liu¹, Bin Liu², Qing Mu³, Jiasen Liu², Yunhua Li², Wendian Gong⁴, Tergel Chahaer³, Yukun Song³, Erhan Hai³, Haoyuan Wang³, Yanjun Zhang³, Yanhong Zhao⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China; Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, China.
² Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, China.
³ College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Sheep & Goat Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China.
⁴ College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China.
⁵ College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China; Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Sheep & Goat Genetics Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China. Electronic address: 13947196432@163.com.

PMID: 39577785
DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2024.110961

Abstract

Exogenous melatonin promotes the differentiation of secondary hair follicles in Cashmere goats, thereby improving cashmere production. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating post-transcriptional gene expression and influence hair follicle growth. However, the mechanism through which melatonin regulates hair follicle development via miRNA mediation remains unclear. In this study, we used RNA-seq to identify differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs during melatonin-induced growth of secondary hair follicles in inner Mongolian Cashmere goats. In total, 170 DE miRNAs were identified. Enrichment analysis revealed that the target genes of these DE miRNAs were related to biological processes such as protein modification; cytoskeletal components; and the Notch, Wnt, and MAPK signaling pathways. The miRNA-mRNA regulatory network suggested that the DE miRNA chi-let-7d-5p negatively regulates WNT2 expression. Mechanistic studies revealed that melatonin promotes the proliferation of DP cells in Cashmere goats via the chi-let-7d-5p/WNT2 axis.

Keywords: Chi-let-7d-5p; Dermal papilla cells; Melatonin; WNT2; miRNA.