Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42450590›Full record

ArticleBiology2026

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals a Follicular Microenvironment Melanogenesis Axis in Black-to-White Coat-Color Transition of Junken Meat Sheep.

Binpeng Xi, Sanchuan Zhao, Qian Yu, Huaqian Zhou, Wenzhe Zhang, Yan Chen, Ruiqi Cheng, Zhipeng Wang, Hua Yang, Jianbin Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Binpeng XiState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.ORCID 0009-0003-6178-9359
Sanchuan ZhaoState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.
Qian YuState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.
Huaqian ZhouState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.
Wenzhe ZhangState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.
Yan ChenState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.
Ruiqi ChengState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.
Zhipeng WangCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Haerbin 150030, China.
Hua YangState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.
Jianbin LiuState Key Laboratory of Sheep Genetic Improvement and Healthy Production, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science, Shihezi 832000, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6550-9236

Funding

Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural and Reclamation Science No. NCG202601, NCG202502National Natural Science Foundation of China No. 32360818Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps No. 2025AA015
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Junken meat sheep exhibit a characteristic postnatal coat-color transition, in which the initially black fleece gradually fades and develops into a white-trunk phenotype; however, the transcriptional basis of this developmental change in follicular pigment output remains unclear. In this study, three Junken meat sheep lambs showing a natural postnatal black-to-white coat-color transition were sampled longitudinally at the newborn black-fleece stage and the 179-day white-trunk stage, generating three matched biological pairs for RNA-seq analysis. Representative candidate genes were further validated by RT-qPCR. Differential expression analysis identified 1657, 400, and 1086 differentially expressed genes in the C11 vs. C1, C22 vs. C2, and C33 vs. C3 comparisons, respectively. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that these genes were mainly associated with tyrosine metabolism, ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, Phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt signaling pathway (PI3K-Akt), arachidonic acid metabolism, estrogen signaling, and immune-related pathways. Integrated analysis of shared downregulated genes and expression patterns highlighted candidate genes related to pigmentation, the ECM/follicular microenvironment, and regulatory or metabolic processes. Pigmentation-related genes, including

Indexed as

coat-color transitionfollicular microenvironmentJunken meat sheepmelanogenesisRNA-seq

Identifiers

PMID42450590
PMCPMC13360250

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.