Background: Wingless-types/beta-catenin (Wnt/β-catenin) signaling pathway is one of the most extensively studied transcriptional cascades involved in various types of organogenesis including embryonic and postnatal development. Downy feather quantity is primarily affected by follicular development and gene regulations.
Objective: This research was aimed to investigate the role of catenin beta-1(CTNNB1) and lymphoid enhancerbinding factor-1 (LEF1) on feather follicles development at different developmental stages.
Methods: Fluorescence quantitative PCR, Western-blot and immunohistochemical methods were used in Anser cygnoides and Anser anser embryos (E12, E13 E18, and E28) and after birth gosling stages (G18, G48, G88) for gene expression analysis.
Results: CTNNB1 and LEF1 genes were expressed in Anser cygnoides and Anser anser at different embryonic and after-birth gosling developmental stages and the expression levels were significantly different in different stages (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression of CTNNB1 and LEF1 genes reached the highest level at D88 in Anser cygnoides, while the highest expression levels were at D18 and D88 in Anser anser, and the expression levels of CTNNB1 genes at D88 in all embryonic stages were significantly lower than after-birth stages. CTNNB1 and LEF1 protein expression were the highest at E12 and E28 for Anser cygnoides feather follicles development. While at a similar stage for Anser anser, the expression of CTNNB1 and LEF1 protein was the highest at D48 and D18. Protein expression at embryonic stages was in the epidermis (E) and the hair basal plate (P), the expression site for after-birth stages was in the dermal papilla (DP).
Conclusion: Our study illustrated that CTNNB1 and LEF1 has an impact on Anser cygnoides and Anser anser feather follicles growth and development.
Keywords: Anser anser; Anser cygnoides; CTNNB1; Feather follicle development; LEF1; Wnt.