Increased cashmere yield and improved quality are some goals of cashmere goat breeding. Thymosin beta-4 (Tβ4) plays a key role in the growth and development of hair follicles. For the past ten years, we have evaluated the role of Tβ4 by establishing a flock of 15 cashmere goats that specifically overexpress the Tβ4 gene in the hair follicles. These Tβ4 overexpression (Tβ4-OE) cashmere goats had more secondary hair follicles than the WT goats and produced more cashmere. Meanwhile, combined analysis of the skin transcriptome and proteome in cashmere goats suggested that Tβ4 may affect hair growth by interacting with keratin type II cytoskeletal 4 epidermal (KRT4) to mediate the extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) signaling pathway, thereby promoting the development of secondary hair follicles, and consequently, increasing cashmere yield. Thus, the specific overexpression of Tβ4 in the hair follicles of cashmere goats effectively increased the cashmere yield.

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for >85% of lung cancers, and its incidence is increasing. We explored expression differences between NSCLC and normal cells and predicted potential target sites for detection and diagnosis of NSCLC. Three microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were analyzed using GEO2R. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis were conducted. Then, the String database, Cytoscape, and MCODE plug-in were used to construct a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and screen hub genes. Overall and disease-free survival of hub genes were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves, and the relationship between expression patterns of target genes and tumor grades were analyzed and validated. Gene set enrichment analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to verify enrichment pathways and diagnostic performance of hub genes. In total, 293 differentially expressed genes were identified and mainly enriched in cell cycle, ECM–receptor interaction, and malaria. In the PPI network, 36 hub genes were identified, of which 6 were found to play significant roles in carcinogenesis of NSCLC: CDC20, ECT2, KIF20A, MKI67, TPX2, and TYMS. The identified target genes can be used as biomarkers for the detection and diagnosis of NSCLC.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) represent a readily accessible and important source of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) capable of multilineage differentiation. The Hippo signaling pathway effector YAP has emerged as a pivotal regulator of stem cell fate, yet the specific molecular mechanism by which it modulates lipogenic differentiation of ADSCs has not been clearly defined. In this study, goat ADSCs (gADSCs) isolated from Albas goats in Inner Mongolia were used to investigate the role of YAP1 in adipogenic differentiation. Overexpression of YAP1 significantly promoted the differentiation of ADSCs into adipocytes, an effect accompanied by up-regulation of LATS2 and activation of the negative feedback loop of the Hippo signaling pathway. Elevated LATS2 expression induced YAP phosphorylation, leading to reduced nuclear levels of YAP and TAZ and their subsequent accumulation in the cytoplasm. YAP1 overexpression up-regulated LATS2 expression, which, in turn, enhanced the adipogenic differentiation of ADSCs. This pro-adipogenic effect of YAP1 was dependent on LATS2 kinase activity. These findings indicate that overexpression of YAP1 promotes ADSC adipogenesis by inducing LATS2 expression and activating the Hippo pathway negative feedback loop. Elucidating the molecular role of YAP in ADSC lipogenic differentiation holds great significance for regulating stem cell fate, treating metabolic disorders, and promoting hair follicle growth.