Developmental Mapping of Hair Follicles in the Embryonic Stages of Cashmere Goats Using Proteomic and Metabolomic Construction

Simple Summary The cashmere industry is a crucial resource and pillar of animal husbandry in the desert and semidesert regions of the central and western Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The development of embryonic hair follicles is vital in determining the quality and quantity of cashmere; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic hair follicle development remain unknown. This study employed proteomic and metabolomic techniques to analyse embryonic skin samples from cashmere goats. The results revealed that the oxytocin signalling pathway is crucial in embryonic hair follicle development by activating the MAPK and Ca2+ signalling pathways. The findings of this study expand our theoretical understanding of embryonic hair follicle development in cashmere goats and serve as a premise for future research.Abstract The hair follicle (HF) is the fundamental unit for fleece and cashmere production in cashmere goats and is crucial in determining cashmere yield and quality. The mechanisms regulating HF development in cashmere goats during the embryonic period remain unclear. Growing evidence suggests that HF development involves complex developmental stages and critical events, and identifying the underlying factors can improve our understanding of HF development. In this study, samples were collected from embryonic day 75 (E75) to E125, the major HF developmental stages. The embryonic HFs of cashmere goats were subjected to proteomic and metabolomic analyses, which revealed dynamic changes in the key factors and signalling pathways controlling HF development at the protein and metabolic levels. Gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes were used to functionally annotate 1784 significantly differentially expressed proteins and 454 significantly differentially expressed metabolites enriched in different HF developmental stages. A joint analysis revealed that the oxytocin signalling pathway plays a sustained role in embryonic HF development by activating the MAPK and Ca2+ signalling pathways, and a related regulatory network map was constructed. This study provides a global perspective on the mechanism of HF development in cashmere goats and enriches our understanding of embryonic HF development.