On June 21st, the international academic journal Science published on-line research paper "Genetic basis of ruminant headgear and rapid antler regeneration” by Professor Jiang Yu’s team, from College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, in collaboration with nine domestic and foreign institutions, including Northwestern Polytechnical University. From the genetic point of view, it is the first to propose that the horn of ruminant has the same cell origin - the head neural stem cells, which utilize the same genetic regulatory pathways during development, providing evidence for the single evolutionary origin and developmental mechanism of the ruminant horn. The first unit of the achievement is Northwest A&F University. The first author is Wang Yu, a doctoral student of Professor Jiang Yu, and the co-corresponding authors are Jiang Yu, Wang Wen and Qiu Qiang.

Northwest A&F University, together with other 8 units including Northwestern Polytechnical University, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, University of Copenhagen in Denmark, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan Institute of Musk Deer Breeding, Shihezi University, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Science, China National Gene Bank, BGI-Shenzhen and American Recombinetics,by comparing the genomes of different types of ruminants and up to 270 transcriptional groups, found that antler and horn had similar gene expression patterns. Thehighly or specifically expressed genes in horns and antlers are most frequently coexpressed in bone, skin, nerve tissues, and testis. Thesehighly or specifically expressed genes of horn tissue, together with some fast-evolving genes, are involved in the migration pathway of neurospinal cells. Thus, it is first proposed from a genetic point of view that the horns of ruminants have the same cellular origin- the head neural stem cells, which provides genetic evidence for a single evolutionary origin of the horns of ruminants. It also provides a theoretical basis for the breeding of hornless cattle and sheep, and provides a key target gene for the production of hornless cattle and sheep by means of gene editing.

Professor Jiang Yu and postgraduates are at work (photo by Jin Jun)

Links to the original text：https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6446/eaav6335?intcmp=trendmd-sci