Study on Keratin Associated Protein 8.1 Gene Expression in Liaoning Cashmere Goats' Skin and Hair Follicles

The study used Real-time PCR to measure the expression of the keratin associated protein 8.1 gene in the skin and hair follicles of Liaoning cashmere goats, comparing it to three varieties of Ovis aries. Results indicated that Liaoning cashmere goats exhibited higher gene expression than the hybrids, correlating with finer cashmere fiber. The expression was up-regulated by 1.2 times, suggesting that higher expression of this gene was associated with thinner cashmere fibers, indicating its potential role in regulating cashmere fineness.