BMP-FGF Signaling Axis Mediates Wnt-Induced Epidermal Stratification in Developing Mammalian Skin

    October 2014 in “ PLoS Genetics ”
    Xiaojing Zhu, YuDong Liu, Zhong‐Min Dai, Xiaoyun Zhang, Xueqin Yang, Yan Li, Mengsheng Qiu, Jiang Fu, Wei Hsu, Yiping Chen, Zunyi Zhang
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    Studysummary This study found that epidermal Wnt production is crucial for forming the skin's spinous layer through a BMP-FGF signaling cascade, although Wnt from basal cells is not needed for their differentiation. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
    The study demonstrated that while Wnt signaling from proliferative basal cells was not necessary for their differentiation, it was crucial for forming the spinous layer in mammalian skin through a BMP-FGF signaling cascade in the dermis. Disruption of Wnt secretion led to spinous layer defects, which could be corrected by transgenically expressed Bmp4. BMP4, acting non-cell autonomously, activated FGF7 and FGF10 signaling, increasing the proliferative basal cell population. This research identified a critical BMP-FGF signaling axis in the dermis that responded to epidermal Wnts and regulated basal progenitors during epidermal stratification.
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