Research Progress on the Molecular Mechanism of Poultry Feather Follicle Development

The evolution of the chilled processing technology has precipitated the emergence of ice-fresh poultry meat as a significant sales channel. The aesthetic appearance of chicken carcasses has become increasingly important in the context of poultry ice-fresh sales, in conjunction with the comprehensive implementation of China’s policies for poultry. Feather follicle development is a significant factor in determining the aesthetic appearance of the carcass. Recent studies have focused on the molecular mechanisms associated with feather follicle development. The WNT, EGF, FGF, SHH, and BMP signalling pathways have been identified as the regulatory mechanisms involved in the development of feather follicles in various segments of poultry skin. However, the BMP signalling pathway, acting as an inhibitor, has been demonstrated to impede the regulatory processes governing feather follicle development via these signalling pathways. This review summarises the structure and overview of feathers and feather follicles, the research progress of signalling pathways that affect the development of poultry feather follicles, the research progress of poultry follicle traits, and the research progress of feather follicle development biotechnology. The present review focuses on summarising the molecular mechanisms that affect feather follicle development, and on providing a summary of the application of biotechnology in this field. It also offers ideas and theoretical references for the molecular mechanism of poultry feather follicle development.