Expression of MAEG, a Novel Basement Membrane Protein, in Mouse Hair Follicle Morphogenesis

The study identified MAEG as a novel basement membrane protein involved in mouse hair follicle morphogenesis. MAEG, which contains EGF-like repeats and an RGD motif, was found to be expressed in the basement membrane of embryonic skin and developing hair follicles. Its expression diminished at the hair bud tip. The RGD motif in MAEG facilitated keratinocyte adhesion, mediated by the α8β1 integrin, which was initially expressed near MAEG-positive mesenchymal cells and later restricted to the hair bud tip. These findings suggested that MAEG played a role in epithelial–mesenchymal interactions during hair follicle development by binding to RGD-binding integrins.