Morpho-Regulation of Ectodermal Organs

The study on K14-Noggin transgenic mice demonstrated that modulating bone morphogenic protein (BMP) activity significantly impacted ectodermal organs. Observations included thickened skin, increased hair density, altered hair types, faster anagen re-entry, and compound vibrissa follicles. Additionally, there were smaller eyelid openings, ectopic cilia, claw agenesis, hyperpigmentation, interdigital webbing, reduced footpads, and sweat gland trans-differentiation into hairs. External genitalia size increased without affecting fertility. The findings concluded that BMP activity modulation during different developmental stages could influence the number, size, shape, and phenotype of ectodermal organs, highlighting the potential for BMP antagonists to produce varied phenotypes in a stage-dependent manner.