The Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase (TERT) Gene Molecular Characterization in Sheep and the Association of Its...

Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) plays a regulatory role in the induction, activation, and hair growth of human and mouse hair follicles. However, the effects of mutations in this gene on sheep hair follicle development and wool traits remain unclear. In this study, the TERT gene (TERT) was investigated using Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR (KASP) technology and in situ hybridization. The results revealed six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the four exons of TERT, two of which were non-synonymous. The TERT mRNA showed weak positive expression in the stratum corneum, inner root sheath, hair follicle medulla, and sebaceous glands; moderate positive expression in the outer root sheath; and strong positive expression in the dermal papilla. An association analysis between wool trait variation and the SNPs revealed that the two non-synonymous changes were associated with mean wool staple strength (MSS), thus TERT could potentially serve as a candidate gene for this trait.