Differential Expression of Keratin and Keratin-Associated Proteins Linked with Hair Loss in Spontaneously Mutated Inbred Mice
July 2024
in “
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
”
keratin keratin associated proteins cyclic alopecia hair follicle cycle autosomal recessive inheritance RNA-sequencing QPCR keratinization hair follicle formation Krt16 Alox15 Fetub Msx2 anagen stage catagen stage Krt6b mRNA protein levels mutants alopecia hair loss genetic hair loss gene expression hair growth cycle genetic inheritance gene sequencing gene validation hair formation keratin gene hair cycle stages mutant mice hair loss model
TLDR Hair loss in certain mice is linked to changes in keratin-related genes.
This study investigates hair loss in spontaneously mutated inbred mice, which exhibit cyclic alopecia due to defects in the first hair follicle cycle and follow an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. RNA-sequencing and QPCR validation identified significant differential expression of genes related to keratinization and hair follicle formation, including upregulated Krt16, Alox15, Fetub, and downregulated Msx2 during late anagen and catagen stages. Krt6b mRNA and protein levels were consistently higher in mutants throughout the first hair cycle. These findings provide insights into the genetic basis of hair loss and suggest these mice as a model for studying alopecia and developing treatment strategies.
