Genetics of Wool and Cashmere Fibre: Progress, Challenges, and Future Research

November 2024 in “ Animals ”

Huitong Zhou, Lingrong Bai, Shaobin Li, Wenhao Li, Jiqing Wang, Jinzhong Tao, Jon G. H. Hickford

TLDR More research is needed to improve wool and cashmere quality through genetics.

The review discusses the genetic improvement of wool and cashmere fibres, emphasizing the challenges in enhancing fibre characteristics through genetics. It highlights the importance of understanding wool keratins and keratin-associated proteins (KAPs) to improve fibre quality. Despite advancements, challenges remain due to the complexity and variability of the genes involved. The review calls for more research to address gaps in gene identification, sequence variability, and expression patterns, which are crucial for understanding fibre growth and variation. Future research directions include improving gene identification, characterisation, and expression analysis to enhance these natural fibres.

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