Association of Basonuclin With the Ability of Keratinocytes to Multiply and Absence of Terminal Differentiation

The study found that basonuclin, a protein with zinc fingers and a nuclear localization signal, was primarily expressed in keratinocytes of stratified squamous epithelia and hair follicles, particularly in the basal layer. It was associated with the ability of keratinocytes to multiply and the absence of terminal differentiation. The presence of basonuclin was linked to maintaining proliferative capacity, as its disappearance correlated with the loss of colony-forming ability and the appearance of involucrin mRNA, indicative of terminal differentiation. In hair follicles, basonuclin was abundant in the outer root sheath, suggesting its role in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation.