Categories: Integument (skin) phene

Mendelian trait/disorder: unknown

Disease-related: no

Species-specific description: As reported by Kang et al. (2013), "The curly fleece appears when Tan lambs are one month old. After processing, the lamb pelts with curly fleece tend to be thin and light weight, which are well suited for the production of fur coats, carpets, furniture covering, and various forms of handicrafts (Figure 1). However, the curly fleece disappears gradually with age and the mechanisms behind the phenomenon are still unclear."

Molecular basis: By comparing the gene-expression profiles of skin from young sheep (having curly fleece) and 4-year-old sheep whose fleece is no longer curled, (Kang et al. (2013) identified six differentially-expressed genes (SPINK4, FGF21, ESRα, EphA3, NTNG1 and GPR110).