Learning From Nudity: Lessons From The Nude Phenotype

The 2005 review article discussed the role of the Foxn1 gene in the development of the 'nude' phenotype, which includes hairlessness and thymus dysgenesis in mice, rats, and humans. The mutation in Foxn1 leads to hair shafts that twist and coil within the hair follicle, preventing them from penetrating the epidermis. Despite the lack of fur, nude mice have largely normal hair follicles and hair cycles. The review emphasized that the nude phenotype affects not only hair follicles but also keratinization in the epidermis and nails. It also discussed the potential for pharmacological manipulation of the phenotype and encouraged further research into Foxn1's role in skin biology. The document detailed various mutations of the Foxn1 gene and their consequences, the specificity of Foxn1 expression to epithelial cells in the skin and thymus, and its essential role in thymic epithelium development and T-cell maturation. It also explored the gene's involvement in keratinocyte differentiation and the regulation of protein kinase pathways, suggesting that further research could lead to new treatments for hair growth disorders.