ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Genet.
Sec. Livestock Genomics
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1582244
Machine Learning Driven Multi-Omics Analysis of the Genetic Mechanisms Behind the Double-Coat Fleece Formation in Hetian Sheep
Provisionally accepted
- Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Ürümqi, China
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
The double-coated fleece is essential for both the adaptability and the economic value of the Hetian sheep. Despite its significance, the molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of the doublecoated fleece remain largely unexplored. To address this issue, we integrate genome and transcriptome data from both Hetian sheep and Chinese Merino sheep (Single-coated fleece), through combined analysis by selective sweep and differential expression, we identified 101 and 106 candidate differentially expressed genes associated with coat fleece type and environmental adaptation in Hetian and Chinese Merino sheep, respectively. In addition, gene ontology and Kyoto Gene Encyclopedia and genomic pathway enrichment analyses were performed. These genes were mainly enriched in pathways related to wool growth and energy metabolism. Subsequent proteinprotein interaction (PPI) network analysis and machine learning screening were performed to identify two key functional genes associated with coat fleece type: IRF2BP2 and EGFR. This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the genetic mechanisms of double-coated fleece formation in Hetian sheep, and provides insights for the development of machine learning-driven multi-omics selection models.
Keywords: Hetian sheep1, Chinese merino sheep2, Coat fleece type3, multi-omics4, machine learning5
Received: 24 Feb 2025; Accepted: 30 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Xu, Xie, Tang, Zheng, Song, Li, Yu and Di. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jiang Di, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, Ürümqi, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.