Whole-genome resequencing of Hu sheep (Ovis aries) with divergent neonatal lambskin wool curvature phenotypes
This project investigates the genetic basis of neonatal lambskin wool curvature in Hu sheep (Ovis aries). Hu sheep are characterized by distinctive lambskin patterns, where wavy wool produces higher commercial quality lambskin compared to straight wool.A total of 20 lambs were selected based on extreme phenotypes (10 fully wavy wool and 10 fully straight wool) from a larger population of 3047 animals. Whole genome resequencing was performed using the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform to generate 150 bp paired end reads, with an average sequencing depth of approximately 13X per individual.Clean reads were aligned to the Ovis aries reference genome (Oar_v4.0). Population genomic analyses including FST, nucleotide diversity (pi ratio), and Tajimas D were conducted to identify genomic regions under selection between the two wool curvature phenotypes.These data provide a genomic resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying lambskin pattern formation and wool curvature in Hu sheep.