Gata6 Promotes Hair Follicle Progenitor Cell Renewal by Genome Maintenance During Proliferation

The study from 2016 focused on the transcription factor Gata6 and its role in hair follicle progenitor cell renewal and genome maintenance during cell proliferation. Gata6 was found to be essential for protecting hair follicle progenitor cells from DNA damage during the anagen phase of the hair cycle, thus preventing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. The study showed that Gata6 stimulates Edaradd levels and NF-kB pathway activation, which are important for DNA damage repair. Loss of Gata6 led to DNA damage, reduced proliferation, and premature transition to the catagen phase, resulting in hair growth cessation. The research involved experiments on mice, including inducible knockout mice, and in vitro assays with cultured keratinocytes. The findings suggest that Gata6 is crucial for maintaining genomic stability in rapidly proliferating cells, which is necessary for normal hair growth and may have implications for understanding Gata6's role in cancer.