Zhang Junjie, Liu Yujing, Chang Jiale, Zhang Ru, Liu Zhaomin, Liang Jiayue, Wang Dong, Feng Juan, Zhao Wei, Xiao Hongmei
College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010010, China.
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Key Laboratory of Biomanufacturing, Hohhot 010010, China.
Animals (Basel). 2024 Jul 12;14(14):2049. doi: 10.3390/ani14142049.
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is a component of the Hedgehog signaling pathway, playing an important role in regulating cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and the repair of damaged organisms. To further clarify the expression pattern of Shh gene in the secondary hair follicle growth cycle of cashmere goats and its mechanism of action on secondary hair follicle papilla cells, and improve cashmere quality, in this study, we took Inner Mongolia Albas white cashmere goats as the research objects and collected skin samples at different growth stages to obtain secondary hair follicles, detected Shh and its gene expression by RT-qPCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and other techniques, while we also cultured DPCs in vitro. Shh gene overexpression and interference vectors were constructed, and the effects of Shh gene on the proliferation and apoptosis of DPCs were studied through cell transfection technology. The results showed that there are significant differences in Shh and its gene expression in the secondary hair follicle growth cycle skins of cashmere goats, with the highest expression level in anagen, followed by catagen, and the lowest expression level in telogen. Shh was mainly expressed in the inner root sheath, outer root sheath, and secondary hair follicle papilla. After the overexpression of Shh gene, the proliferation and vitality of the hair papilla cells were enhanced compared to the interference group. After Shh gene interference, the apoptosis rate of the cells increased, indicating that Shh gene can regulate downstream Ptch, Smo, and Gli2 gene expression to promote the proliferation of DPCs, and thus form its expression pattern in the secondary hair follicle growth cycle of cashmere goats.
音猬因子（Shh）是刺猬信号通路的一个组成部分，在调节细胞增殖、分化、凋亡以及受损生物体的修复过程中发挥着重要作用。为了进一步阐明Shh基因在绒山羊次级毛囊生长周期中的表达模式及其对次级毛囊乳头细胞的作用机制，从而提高羊绒品质，本研究以内蒙古阿尔巴斯白绒山羊为研究对象，在不同生长阶段采集皮肤样本以获取次级毛囊，通过RT-qPCR、蛋白质免疫印迹、免疫组织化学等技术检测Shh及其基因表达，同时还进行了体外培养的真皮乳头细胞（DPCs）实验。构建了Shh基因过表达载体和干扰载体，并通过细胞转染技术研究了Shh基因对DPCs增殖和凋亡的影响。结果表明，Shh及其基因在绒山羊次级毛囊生长周期皮肤中的表达存在显著差异，生长期表达水平最高，退行期次之，休止期表达水平最低。Shh主要在内根鞘、外根鞘和次级毛囊乳头中表达。Shh基因过表达后，与干扰组相比，毛囊乳头细胞的增殖和活力增强。Shh基因干扰后，细胞凋亡率增加，表明Shh基因可调节下游Ptch、Smo和Gli2基因的表达，促进DPCs的增殖，从而在绒山羊次级毛囊生长周期中形成其表达模式。
