HIF-2α/ARNT Complex Regulates Hair Development via Induction of p21 Waf1/Cip1 and p27 Kip1

The study explored the influence of the HIF-2α/ARNT complex on hair follicle development by examining wild-type and keratinocyte-specific Arnt-knockout mice. It was discovered that HIF-2α and ARNT are highly expressed in the hair follicle's precortex area and that the absence of ARNT led to larger anagen hair follicles and fewer zigzag hairs due to decreased HIF-2α expression and increased expression of the cell cycle inhibitors p21 Waf1/Cip1 and p27 Kip1. The findings suggest that the HIF-2α/ARNT complex is crucial for regulating hair follicle development and differentiation, potentially offering insights into hair growth disorders. The study involved 3 to 6 mice per group across multiple independent experiments.