Generation of Tβ4 knock-in Cashmere goat using CRISPR/Cas9

The cashmere goat breed is known to provide excellent quality cashmere. Here, we attempted to breed high-yielding cashmere goats by specifically inserting the T beta 4 gene into the goat CCR5 locus and provided an animal model for future research. We successfully obtained T beta 4 knock-in goat without any screening and fluorescent markers using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. A series of experiments were performed to examine physical conditions and characteristics of the T beta 4 knock-in goat. The goat exhibited an increase in cashmere yield by 74.5% without affecting the fineness and quality. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis indicated that T beta 4 may promote hair growth by affecting processes such as vasoconstriction, angiogenesis, and vascular permeability around secondary hair follicles. Together, our study can significantly improve the breeding of cashmere goat and thereby increase economic efficiency.