Association between DNA Methylation in the Core Promoter Region of the CUT-like Homeobox 1 () Gene and Lambskin Pattern in Hu Sheep.

CUT-like homeobox 1 () has been proven to be a key regulator in sheep hair follicle development. In our previous study, was identified as a differential expressed gene between Hu sheep lambskin with small wave patterns (SM) and straight wool patterns (ST); however, the exact molecular mechanism of expression has been obscure. As DNA methylation can regulate the gene expression, the potential association between core promotor region methylation and lambskin pattern in Hu sheep was explored in the present study. The results show that the core promoter region of was present at (-1601-(-1) bp) upstream of the transcription start site. A repressive region (-1151-(-751) bp) was also detected, which had a strong inhibitory effect on promoter activity. Bisulfite amplicon sequencing revealed that no significant difference was detected between the methylation levels of core promoter region in SM tissues and ST tissues. Although the data demonstrated the differential expression of between SM and ST probably has no association with DNA methylation, the identification of the core region and a potential repressive region of promoter can enrich the role of in Hu sheep hair follicle development.