@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 {60950,
	title = {Variation of wool between and across the fleeces of composite-breed strong wool sheep in New Zealand},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {69},
	year = {2009},
	month = {Jun},
	pages = {90-95},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	address = {Christchurch},
	abstract = {Many farmers in New Zealand have moved towards using composite-breed sheep flocks to increase the meat production and fecundity of their stock. We aimed to determine whether flocks with a wider genetic base had greater between and within-fleece variation than single-breed flocks. Wool from seventeen body sites of sheep from five flocks of diverse genetic background (Romney, Coopworth, and crosses with Texel, Finnish Landrace and East Friesian breed lines) were compared. Both mean fibre diameter and mean fibre curvature differed between flocks (P <0.001), and across the body (P <0.01). While fibre diameter was more consistent, fibre curvature was more variable across the finer fleeces of flocks with some Finnish Landrace influence. Wool was shorter in Texel crosses, resulting in more consistent length across body sites. Our data suggests that composite-breed sheep exhibit increased within-fleece variation of some wool traits and decreased variation of others. Of most significance was that the extent of wool variation across body sites varied considerably between sheep, regardless of their genotype. In general, there was little association between wool traits with respect to this across-fleece uniformity. Fleece uniformity can be assessed by sampling across the anterior-posterior axis. Selection of stock with more uniform fleeces for specific traits may aid the production of wool better specified to satisfy differentiated niche markets. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Craven AJ and Ashby MG and Wildermoth JE and Cox NR and Scobie DR and Nixon 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}
}
@conference {41065,
	title = {Fleece production patterns in Romney ewes: Effects of photoperiod, pregnancy and lactation},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {59},
	year = {1999},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {30-33},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Twenty one Romney ewes were housed indoors for 12 months from February to determine the effect of season, pregnancy and lactation on wool growth. Ten ewes were naturally mated in April to lamb in September. The ewes were fed to maintain constant maternal body weight and a midside patch harvested monthly to determine clean fleece growth rates. An effect of pregnancy on individual fibre length growth rate, determined by autoradiography, occurred as early as 21-35 days after joining. During the second month of gestation, fleece production and mean fibre diameter fell below that of non-pregnant ewes and continued to diverge until parturition. Wool production rose in the non-pregnant group from August, but did not increase in lambing ewes until after parturition. These data suggest that pregnancy is associated with an early hormonally-mediated depression in follicle output superimposed on the decline associated with winter photoperiod. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Pearson AJ and Kendall PE and Ashby MG and Wildermoth JE}
}
@conference {40583,
	title = {The effect of long-day photoperiod treatments on plasma prolactin and wool follicle activity in New Zealand Wiltshire sheep},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {54},
	year = {1994},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {135-138},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Exposure of NZ Wiltshire sheep to a long-day photoperiod during late  
winter/spring has previously been shown to alter wool follicle growth patterns.   
The present experiment was undertaken to evaluate the plasma prolactin and  
wool follicle response to treatment with either 1, 2 or 3 months of long days. 
 
Four groups of six, NZ Wiltshire ewes were subjected to long-day photoperiod  
(16L:8D) for 1 month (LD1), 2 months (LD2), 3 months (LD3) or natural  
photoperiod (control), commencing on the 3 August, after which they were  
released from light treatment into natural (indoor) spring daylength.  Weekly  
jugular blood samples were assayed for prolactin (PRL) and skin biopsies were  
histologically assessed for wool follicle activity. 
 
Circulating PRL concentrations were low in all treated and control sheep at the  
start of the experiment (19 {\textpm} 2 ng/ml).  In treated sheep mean PRL  
concentration increased (P<0.05) above control levels (8 {\textpm} 1 ng/ml) within 1  
week after exposure to long days (52 {\textpm} 4, 51 {\textpm} 5 and 55 {\textpm} 2 ng/ml for LD1,  
LD2 and LD3, respectively).  PRL concentrations remained significantly higher  
than controls (P<0.05) for the duration of each treatment reaching maxima of  
148 {\textpm} 27 ng/ml, 180 {\textpm} 43 ng/ml, and 199 {\textpm} 33 ng/ml for LD1, LD2 and LD3  
respectively.  In LD2 and LD3 treatments, PRL concentrations declined to  
control levels by 3 and 2 weeks after treatment had ceased, respectively, but in  
the LD1 treatment PRL remained significantly above (P<0.05) control levels  
until between 2 and 3 months after treatment.  Primary follicle activity (PFA)  
decreased in response to long-day treatment (P<0.01) reaching minima of 47 {\textpm}  
9\%, 36 {\textpm} 6\%, and 33 {\textpm} 11\% in LD1, LD2, LD3 sheep, respectively.  Secondary  
follicle activity (SFA) responses were most marked in the LD2 and LD3  
treatments where they fell below (P<0.05) control levels reaching minima at 2  
months into treatment (66 {\textpm} 15\% and 58 {\textpm} 13\% for LD2 and LD3,  
respectively).  Both PFA and SFA increased to over 90\%, within 1 month after  
release into natural light, in all treatments groups (except PFA for the LD1  
group which took 2 months after release to reach over 90\%). 
 
In support of previously reported trials an increasing level of plasma PRL was  
followed by a decline in follicle activity.  The optimal time frame to achieve an  
effective synchronised follicle regression was between 2 and 3 months of long- 
day treatment.  The long-day treatment system produced a complete follicle  
growth cycle in temporal synchrony and is therefore a potential model for the  
investigation of structural and biochemical processes surrounding transitions  
between active and resting stages of fibre growth. },
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Craven AJ and Parry AL and Wildermoth JE and Pearson AJ}
}
@conference {40529,
	title = {Plasma prolactin in Romney sheep selected for hogget fleece weight},
	booktitle = {Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	volume = {53},
	year = {1993},
	month = {Jan},
	pages = {371-376},
	publisher = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	organization = {New Zealand Society of Animal Production},
	abstract = {Seventy nine mature, alpacas were scanned every 10-14 days using real time ultrasonography to visualise the foetus. There was a 24\% foetal loss between days 21-30 of gestation and parturition, with the maximum loss occurring between days 21-30 and days 31-40 of gestation. There was a 5\% loss of foetuses after day 100 of gestation.},
	issn = {1176-5283},
	author = {Clarke JN and Pearson AJ and Sumner RMW and Johnson DL and Dobbie JL and Wildermoth JE and Wrigglesworth AL}
}
