Polymorphisms and mRNA Expression Levels of , and in Tibetan Cashmere Goats.

The Tibetan cashmere goat is a precious breed in China and its cashmere is widely used in clothing and textiles. The genes , , and have been shown to be crucial regulators of cashmere growth. In this study, we examined mRNA expression levels of these three genes and detected , , and SNP loci in the Tibetan cashmere goat. After amplification and sequence alignment of the genes , , and among 206 Tibetan cashmere goats, two new SNP loci were detected in gene , while no SNP loci were found in amplified fragments of genes and . The expression levels of gene in Baingoin and Nyima counties were significantly higher than in other counties ( < 0.05). Moreover, the expression level of gene in Gêrzê was significantly higher than in Rutog. The expression levels of mRNA in showed significant variation among seven counties. There were no significant differences in mRNA expression levels of , , and in Tibetan cashmere goats when analysed by sex. The gene was slightly up-regulated in one to five-year-old cashmere goats, except in those that were 4 years old. The mRNA expression levels of in one and two-year-old cashmere goats was lower compared with those in three to five-year-old cashmere goats. was up-regulated across one to five-year-old cashmere goats. In this study, SNP detection and mRNA expression analysis of , , and genes was able to add data to genetic evolutionary analysis. Further studies should be carried out in SNPs to detect other fragments in genes and as well as signal pathways and gene functions in protein levels of genes , , and in the Tibetan cashmere goat.