TLDR aPKCλ is essential for hair follicle stem cell maintenance and wound healing.
The study examined the roles of aPKC isoforms, aPKCλ and aPKCζ, in hair follicle stem cell maintenance and wound healing using genetically modified mice. It was found that aPKCλ was crucial for maintaining HFSC populations and proper hair cycling, as its deletion led to progressive hair loss, abnormal hair cycling, and reduced HFSC quiescence. Additionally, aPKCλ was essential for efficient wound healing, as its absence resulted in delayed healing and disrupted cell orientation towards wounds. In contrast, aPKCζ deletion did not affect HFSC maintenance or wound healing, indicating that aPKCλ and aPKCζ were not functionally equivalent, with aPKCλ being more critical for these processes.
359 citations,
January 2015 in “Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine” Hair growth phase and certain genes can speed up wound healing, while an inflammatory mediator can slow down new hair growth after a wound. Understanding these factors can improve tissue regeneration during wound healing.
835 citations,
October 2008 in “Nature Genetics” Lgr5 is a marker for active, long-lasting stem cells in mouse hair follicles.
1010 citations,
August 2000 in “Cell” Hair follicle stem cells can form both hair follicles and skin.
36 citations,
October 2015 in “Cell reports” Gab1 protein is crucial for hair growth and stem cell renewal, and Mapk signaling helps maintain these processes.
156 citations,
October 2012 in “Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology” Different types of stem cells in hair follicles play unique roles in wound healing and hair growth, with some stem cells not originating from existing hair follicles but from non-hair follicle cells. WNT signaling and the Lhx2 factor are key in creating new hair follicles.
260 citations,
June 2011 in “Cell” Wnt signaling is crucial for pigmented hair regeneration by controlling stem cell activation and differentiation.
