The Combination of Hair Follicle-Specific Marker LHX2 and Co-Expressed Marker Can Distinguish Between Sweat Gland Placodes and Hair Placodes in Rat

The study investigated the differentiation between eccrine sweat gland (ESG) placodes and hair follicle (HF) placodes in rats, which are difficult to distinguish morphologically. Researchers used single and double-immunofluorescence staining to analyze the expression of various keratins and specific markers, including P-cadherin, LEF1, LHX2, NKA, and NKCC1. The results showed that both ESG and HF placodes expressed certain keratins and markers, but only HF placodes specifically expressed LHX2. The study concluded that LHX2, in combination with co-expressed markers like K14, can effectively distinguish HF placodes from ESG placodes, providing a method to study the fate determination of these skin appendages.