Nuclear Factor I-C Regulates TGF-β-dependent Hair Follicle Cycling
August 2010
in “
Journal of Biological Chemistry
”

TLDR Nuclear Factor I-C is important for controlling hair growth by affecting the TGF-β1 pathway.
The document reports that Nuclear Factor I-C (NFI-C) is essential for regulating the hair follicle cycle, particularly by modulating the TGF-β1 pathway during the telogen phase of hair growth. Mice lacking NFI-C showed a delayed transition from the telogen to anagen phase, associated with reduced expression of genes like Shh, Wnt5a, and Lef1, which are crucial for hair follicle growth initiation. These NFI-C-null mice also had increased levels of TGF-β1 and the cell cycle inhibitor p21, along with reduced Ki67 expression, indicating impaired progenitor cell activation. The findings suggest that NFI-C represses TGF-β1 signaling, which is necessary for timely hair follicle regeneration. The study's strength cannot be assessed as the number of mice used was not mentioned.