我国是羽毛羽绒生产和出口大国，羽绒是水禽（鸭、鹅）皮肤内次级羽囊的体表结构。调控羽绒产量的遗传机制尚未明确。申请人前期发现TRPS1在鹅绒形成前次级羽囊初始期皮肤内特异高表达，该基因特异性调控小鼠次级毛囊的形成，推测其与鹅次级羽囊形成相关。本项目拟比较中外鹅产绒差异，运用原位杂交等技术揭示鹅次级羽囊早期发育规律及品种间差异；运用二代和三代转录组技术筛查、鉴定鹅次级羽囊发育相关候选基因及品种间SNPs；运用细胞转染、双荧光素酶报告系统、ChIP-seq等技术，从启动子、潜在增强子和上游microRNA层面鉴定TRPS1转录活性的调控机制；运用慢病毒载体构建、病毒包装、鸡胚注射等技术鉴定鹅TRPS1诱导羽囊形成的功能。本项目旨在研究鹅绒形成前次级羽囊诱导形成机制，阐明TRPS1是鹅次级羽囊形成的调控因子，其转录活性与次级羽囊密度和鹅绒产量高度关联，提供鹅绒高产候选遗传标记。

China is the leading producer and exporter of down feathers in the world. The down feathers are the external skin compartments of secondary feather follicles in domestic waterfowl (duck and goose). Until now, the genetic factors and mechanisms regulating the development and regeneration of down feathers in domestic waterfowl remain unclear. Murine Trps1 was reported to regulate the development of secondary hair follicles in dorsal skin. We previously detected the specifically upregulated expression of TRPS1 in goose skin containing primordia of secondary feather follicles. Hence, TRPS1 could be regarded as one potential candidate to govern down feather development. In this study, by using in situ hybridization, we aimed to reveal the expression patterns of secondary feather follicles in goose skin of different breeds; by using transcriptome sequencing including full-length transcriptome to refine the candidate regulatory genes (TRPS1 etc.) and SNPs for down feather follicle morphogenesis; by using cell transfection, luciferase reporter assays and ChIP-seq to identify the core promoter, potential enhancer and the upstream microRNAs of TRPS1 and to discuss the potential correlation of TRPS1 SNPs and the density of secondary feather follicle primordia; by using lentivirus vector construction and package, and chicken egg injection to overexpress goose TRPS1 for functional study of TRPS1 on feather follicle induction. This study aimed to elucidate that TRPS1 is the functional gene regulating the induction and density of secondary feather follicles with differential expression in skin of different goose breeds, and eventually manipulating the production of down feathers. The potential genetic markers will be provided for goose selective breeding specifically for feather down.