Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals new insights for mechanisms of horn buds formation in dairy goats (PRJCA020404)
A unique structure of ruminants, the horn trait is not only closely related to natural and sexual selection but is also an important trait for polled goat breeding. In this study, we investigated the gene expression profile of horn buds in sheep fetuses using scRNA-seq. ScRNA-seq led to the identification of different cell heterogeneities and cell fate changes in the formation and development of horn buds in dairy goats. Furthermore, we identified differentially expressed genes in the horn buds of 70-day-old dairy goat fetuses, including RXFP2, ZEB2, and EGR. We also found that the Wnt signaling pathway may be responsible for horn development. Our study provides new possible marker genes for horn bud development, which may promote our understanding of the molecular mechanism of early embryo horn bud formation and development in Laoshan dairy goats.