skin transcriptome data
This study focuses on the issue of declining cashmere quality in cashmere goats, a factor that not only impacts the breeding benefits of farmers and herdsmen but also undermines the competitive advantage of cashmere goats in the international cashmere industry. The research aims to regulate the cashmere production traits of cashmere goats through cysteamine (CS) supplementation, unravel the underlying mechanism, and provide experimental support and theoretical basis for clarifying the nutritional functions of CS in cashmere goats and realizing its rational application.The results showed that dietary supplementation with CS significantly increased the straight length of cashmere; furthermore, with the increase in CS dosage, cashmere yield, fiber strength, and elongation at break all exhibited an upward trend. Transcriptome sequencing identified a total of 399 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which are mainly involved in biological pathways such as steroid hormone biosynthesis, tryptophan metabolism, and the MAPK signaling pathway. Metabolomic analysis revealed 66 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in the skin tissue of cashmere goats, among which the contents of key metabolites (e.g., pantothenic acid and 2-arachidonoylglycerol) increased significantly with the elevation of CS supplementation dosage.Further analysis indicated that the DEMs in the high-dose CS group (HCS) were enriched in the bile secretion pathway, which could enhance the nutrient absorption capacity of the skin, thereby improving cashmere fiber strength. In contrast, the DEMs in the low-dose CS group (LCS) were enriched in the arachidonic acid metabolism pathway, which significantly increased the straight length of cashmere by maintaining the longitudinal growth of hair follicle cells. KEGG pathway enrichment results demonstrated that the DEGs and DEMs in both groups were involved in the bile acid secretion pathway, tryptophan metabolism pathway, and renin secretion pathway.These findings hold great significance for elucidating the molecular and metabolic mechanisms underlying the regulation of cashmere production traits by CS in cashmere goats, and simultaneously provide a crucial theoretical basis for the targeted application of CS in the synergistic improvement of cashmere yield and quality in cashmere goats.