Transcriptomic analysis of eyelid pigmentation in Hereford cattle

The study of skin and coat color in cattle has both economic and scientific interests. Several ocular pathologies of cattle have been associated with low pigmentation of the eyelids, including ocular squamous cell carcinoma and infectious keratoconjunctivitis, the two most common ocular pathologies affecting cattle production. One potential strategy to reduce the incidence of these pathologies in cattle is to identify and select animals with pigmented eyelids. In this study, we investigated the transcriptome of eyelid skin in Hereford cattle using RNA-Seq technology.