Work

Hairless triggers reactivation of hair growth by promoting Wnt signaling

Year: 2005

Type: article

Abstract: The mammalian hair cycle involves periodic regeneration of a tiny organ, the hair follicle, through a stem-cell-mediated process. The Hairless (Hr) gene encodes a nuclear receptor corepressor (HR) that is essential for hair follicle regeneration, but its role in this process is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that transgenic expression of HR in progenitor keratinocytes rescues follicle regeneration in Hr(-/-) mice. We show that expression of Wise, a modulator of Wnt signaling, is repressed by HR in these cells, coincident with the timing of follicle regeneration. This work links HR and Wnt function, providing a model in which HR regulates the precise timing of Wnt signaling required for hair follicle regeneration.

Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0507609102

Authors: Gerard M. J. Beaudoin, Jeanne M. Sisk, Pierre A. Coulombe, Catherine C. Thompson

Institutions: Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute

Language: English

Topic: Hair Growth and Disorders

Subfield: Urology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases