DKK4 as a Novel Candidate Marker for Zhexi Angora Rabbit Wool Quality

March 2026 in “ World Rabbit Science ”

Bohao Zhao, Yongqi Yu, Miaocheng Wang, Ziyang Chen, Rongrong Li, Yang Chen, Xinsheng Wu

DKK4 Dickkopf-related protein 4 hair follicle growth hair follicle development SNPs C2351T C2405G Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium mutant haplotype combination fibre diameter molecular marker

TLDR DKK4 can be used to improve wool quality in Zhexi Angora rabbits.

This study investigates the role of Dickkopf-related protein 4 (DKK4) in the wool quality of Zhexi Angora rabbits, revealing that DKK4 affects hair follicle growth and inhibits cell proliferation. Among 108 rabbits, researchers identified four SNPs in the DKK4 gene, with SNPs C2351T and C2405G significantly associated with wool fibre diameter. The mutant haplotype TT/GG correlated with higher fibre diameters, suggesting DKK4 as a potential molecular marker for selecting wool fibre diameter traits in Angora rabbits.

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