Differentially expressed genes of dermal papilla cells during cashmere growth

Dermal papilla cells (DPCs) are specialized mesenchymal cells at the base of the hair follicle that function as pivotal signalling centre essential for follicle morphogenesis and regeneration. In cashmere goats, primary hair follicles (PHFs) generate coarse guard hair, whereas secondary hair follicles (SHFs) produce the fine cashmere fiber. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying DPC-mediated regulation of fiber production, we isolated highly pure and viable DPCs from PHFs and their anatomically paired SHFs at early anagen and anagen phases in both male and female goats, following a laboratory-validated dermal papilla isolation protocol. Transcriptome profiling revealed distinct expression patterns associated with growth phase, follicle type, and, unexpectedly, sex, highlighting a previously underexplored dimension of DPCs. Comparative analyses identified 3,857 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across these categories. A summary of these DEGs is presented in Table, providing novel comprehensive transcriptomic characterization of DPC heterogeneity in cashmere fiber formation and revealing growth-phase, follicle-type, and sex-associated regulatory features.