Autofluorescence in the Stem Cell Region of the Hair Follicle Bulge

The study observed autofluorescence in the stem cell region of the hair follicle bulge, which could interfere with immunofluorescent studies. This autofluorescence was consistent across different preparation methods and fixatives but was reduced by a reducing agent. The autofluorescence likely resulted from high levels of flavin- and NAD-related compounds, indicating a unique metabolic status of these quiescent stem cells. The findings suggest that care should be taken to prevent background fluorescence in studies and that autofluorescence could potentially be used to isolate bulge cells via flow cytometry.