# SheepGTEx atlas: 6,761 RNA samples from 51 tissues linked to 10,000 years of sheep breeding

- Published: 2026-11-14 08:08 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biology & biochemistry
- Tags: SheepGTEx, sheep genetic atlas, gene regulation in sheep, regulatory variants, FarmGTEx, ancient sheep DNA, sheep domestication, selective breeding, RNA sequencing, Nature Genetics
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-a1ff539625e2e3d6e26eac63_sheepgtex_atlas_6/

**Researchers built the pilot SheepGTEx atlas of gene regulation and compared it with DNA of 52 ancient sheep, tracing how breeding shaped regulation in specific tissues.**

![SheepGTEx atlas: 6,761 RNA samples from 51 tissues linked to 10,000 years of sheep breeding](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/63927d15f8459c61.jpg)
*Marie-Lan Taÿ Pamart, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0*

An international team including researchers from Aarhus University has published the pilot phase of SheepGTEx, an atlas of how genetic variants influence gene regulation in sheep, in Nature Genetics on 9 November 2026 [1]. The team analysed 6,761 RNA sequencing samples from 2,816 sheep of several breeds, covering 51 tissues and cell types [1]. SheepGTEx is part of the Farm Animal Genotype-Tissue Expression (FarmGTEx) project.

## What the atlas contains

The authors identified millions of regulatory variants associated with seven types of molecular phenotypes. They fine-mapped 322,468 primary and 114,017 nonprimary effects, which points to extensive regulatory allelic heterogeneity [1]. They also assessed how these variants act across tissues, breeds, sexes and developmental stages, and examined their evolutionary constraints across mammals [1].

Until now, genetic studies could locate genome regions associated with traits but often could not identify the genes, mechanisms or tissues involved. With the atlas, the authors identified regulatory mechanisms behind 34 complex traits [1]. In one case, a variant linked to the regulation of the FXYD1 gene in the anterior pituitary gland, a hormone-producing tissue involved in reproduction, offers a hypothesis about differences in litter size. The authors stress that this does not prove FXYD1 determines how many lambs a sheep produces. The atlas is publicly available.

## Ancient DNA and selection

The team combined the atlas with DNA from 52 ancient sheep spanning about 10,000 years. Variants that regulate genes in one or a few tissues showed stronger signs of selection than variants affecting multiple tissues [1]. Signals of selection were found among variants regulating genes in tissues such as skin and cervix, consistent with human selection for wool, pigmentation and reproduction traits.

One example is THNSL2, whose activity in the skin is influenced by genetic variation. A variant associated with higher THNSL2 activity in modern sheep generally became more common among European sheep between the Neolithic period and the Middle Ages, although its frequency fluctuated. Wool grows from hair follicles in the skin, but the authors say they have not established a direct effect on wool production. The study also addresses population divergence between European and Asian breeds and adaptive evolution in sheep over the past 10 millennia [1].

The authors note that candidate variants still need validation in independent sheep populations, and their biological effects must be tested. It also remains to be established whether using this information improves the accuracy of genomic predictions in breeding programmes.

## Sources

1. [Nature Genetics](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-026-02825-2)
2. [EurekAlert](https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1151730)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-a1ff539625e2e3d6e26eac63_sheepgtex_atlas_6/