Retention of embryonic positional identity signatures in the adult sheep tail : evidence from HOXB13 spatial RNA expression gradients

Horvat, Simon (author), Ellenrieder, Rebecca (author), Simčič, Mojca (author), Čater, Maša (author), Draksler, Urška (author), Krebs, Stefan (author), Pogorevc, Neža (author), Upadhyay, Maulik (author), Balasopoulou, Viktoria (author), Feist, Melanie (author), Friedel, Caroline C. (author), Medjugorac, Ivica (author)

Body axis patterning in vertebrates is controlled by HOX genes during embryogenesis, with their expression gradients defining spatial identity along the anterior–posterior axis. While the developmental roles of HOX genes in axial patterning are well established, it remains unclear to what extent embryonically defined anterior–posterior HOX expression patterns are retained as transcriptional signatures in adult tissues. Tail length in sheep provides a model for studying the phenotypic effects of HOX gene variants. We used Improved Jezersko–Solčava sheep, which segregate for both tail length and HOXB13 promoter variants, to examine genotype– phenotype associations. The HOXB13 genotype was the main determinant of adult tail length, acting primarily by modulating caudal vertebral number. RNA‑seq and qPCR analyses revealed a clear anterior–posterior HOXB13 expression gradient in adult tail skin and bones, consistent with retained positional patterning, with stronger distal expression in short‑tailed animals. These results provide in vivo evidence that spatially patterned HOX gene expression is retained in adulthood, consistent with residual transcriptional signatures of embryonic anterior–posterior identity.

• Language: English
• Keywords: HOXB13, postnatal spatial gene expression, sheep tail length, skin and bone, RNAseq, positional identity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 02.03.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 17 str.
• Numbering: [Vol.] 16, article no. 11776
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180412
• UDC: 636.3:575
• ISSN on article: 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-42438-7
• COBISS.SI-ID: 270214403
• Publication date in RUL: 09.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Scientific reports
• Shortened title: Sci. rep.
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• ISSN: 2045-2322
• COBISS.SI-ID: 18727432

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: ovce, lastnosti zunanjosti, dolžina repa, fenotip, genetika, geni HOX

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P4-0220
• Name: Primerjalna genomika in genomska biodiverziteta

• Funder: Other - Other funder or multiple funders
• Project number: ID-57514909
• Name: DAAD ID-57514909