Gsdma3 regulates hair follicle differentiation via Wnt5a-mediated non-canonical Wnt signaling pathway

The study demonstrated that the gene Wnt5a played a crucial role in regulating hair follicle differentiation in mice through an epithelial-mesenchymal interaction mechanism. It was observed that Wnt5a was expressed in epithelial and dermal papilla cells during hair follicle development. In Gsdma3-mutant mice, Wnt5a expression was significantly decreased, while overexpression of Gsdma3 increased Wnt5a expression in cultured epidermal cells. Additionally, overexpression of Wnt5a in dermal papilla cells suppressed canonical Wnt signaling pathway effectors like β-catenin and Lef1, and decreased the expression of genes involved in maintaining cell quiescence. The findings suggested that Wnt5a mediated the effects of epithelia-expressed Gsdma3 on dermal papilla cell behavior, thereby influencing hair follicle epithelial differentiation.