@conference {69509,
	title = {Identification of novel wool keratin intermediate filament genes in sheep skin},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {70},
	year = {2010},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {222-228},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Palmerston North},
	abstract = {Keratin intermediate filament (KIF) genes encode key proteins for hair and wool formation. A total of 17 expressed human KIF genes involved in hair formation are annotated. However, to date, only eight wool KIF genes have been reported. In this study, six new cDNA sequences (KRT32, KRT33B, KRT34, KRT39, KRT40 and KRT82) representing previously unreported wool KIFs were identified using a contiguous ovine sequence library constructed primarily from ESTs. The expression of three other KIF genes (KRT36, KRT84 and KRT87) was confirmed by PCR using sheep skin total RNA. The analogue of human KRT37 (type I) was unable to be identified, while KRT87 (type II) was present in sheep but not in humans. Therefore 10 type I and seven type II KIF family members have been identified in sheep in comparison to 11 and six KIFs in the human. These 17 KIF genes are likely to represent the complete or near-complete set involved in wool formation. The annotation of these genes will facilitate investigation into their patterns of expression in wool follicles and their roles in the determination of fibre attributes.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Yu Z-D and Gordon SW and Wildermoth JE and Wallace OAM and Nixon AJ and Pearson AJ}
}
@conference {42003,
	title = {Culture of ovine keratinocytes : An experimental model for wool growth},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {67},
	year = {2007},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {326-331},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Wanaka},
	abstract = {Wool fibres are formed from the germinative epithelium, a population of keratinocytes at the base of wool follicles. In order to test the function of candidatewool growth genes and pharmaceuticals, we have developed methods to isolate and maintain these cells inculture. Pure, clonal lines of ovine keratinocytes were isolated from both vibrissae and wool follicles. Vibrissa-derived cells proliferated more extensively before senescing, but cells from both follicle types possessed ample proliferative potential for further experimentation. Standard assays have been established to quantify keratinocyte proliferation and apoptosis in culture. Differentiation of keratinocytes could be induced by maintaining them at high density for a week. Keratinocytes expressed differentiation markers for epidermis and inner root sheath. Expression of a chosen gene could be up-regulated by transfection with a liposome-borne plasmid. A transfected plasmid encoding a fluorescent reporter protein was expressed in 68-100\% of cells. Similarly, expression of a gene of interest could be suppressed by RNA interference. The experimental tractability of these keratinocytes suggests that they will be a valuable model for investigating the cell biology and molecular genetics of wool growth. The methods described form a unique experimental system to identify leads for new technologies that improve wool production.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Rufaut NW and Goldthorpe NT and Craven AJ and Wallace OAM and Wildermoth JE and Pedersen G and Nixon AJ}
}
