Coactivator MED1 Ablation in Keratinocytes Results in Hair-Cycling Defects and Epidermal Alterations

The study demonstrated that the ablation of the coactivator MED1 in keratinocytes led to significant hair-cycling defects and epidermal alterations in mice. MED1 deletion caused increased keratinocyte proliferation, abnormal activation of the hair follicle anagen phase, hyperplasia, and incomplete hair differentiation. The null mice showed accelerated hair follicle progression but impaired terminal differentiation, with altered expression of hair differentiation genes and signaling pathways such as Hedgehog and BMP. These findings highlighted the critical role of MED1 in maintaining hair differentiation and skin integrity, providing insights into potential therapeutic targets for hair loss and hyper-proliferative skin diseases.