Effects of lncRNA MTC on protein expression in skin fibroblasts of Liaoning Cashmere goat based on iTRAQ technique

Existing experiments have found a new intergenic lncRNA activated by melatonin, which is called lncRNA MTC. However, the regulatory mechanism of lncRNA MTC in Liaoning Cashmere goat skin fibroblasts has not been clarified. Specific knockdown of lncRNA MTC inhibits cell proliferation and increases apoptosis. iTRAQ reagent was used for relative and absolute quantification of proteins in lncRNA MTC-KD and NC groups to evaluate changes in protein expression during dermal fibroblast development following lncRNA MTC deletion. A total of 5931 proteins were found in Liaoning Cashmere goat skin fibroblasts, of which 123 were differentially expressed, including 32 up-regulated proteins and 91 down-regulated proteins. Of the 91 down-regulated proteins, 32 act mainly through related pathways (e.g., cell cycle, mitochondrial function, ribosomal structure, vesicular transport, cytoskeletal components and skin morphogenesis). LncRNA MTC facilitates the proliferation of Liaoning Cashmere goat skin fibroblasts by regulating ITGB5, TlN2, CTSS, POLG, RAP1B, CHAF1A, CDCA8 and other proteins involved in cell proliferation. The results of this study provide some candidate proteins for the in-depth investigation of the molecular mechanism of lncRNA MTC, which facilitates hair growth in cashmere goats and provides more insights into their regulatory networks and biochemical pathways.