Two Novel CreERT2 Transgenic Mouse Lines to Study Melanocytic Cells In Vivo

This study introduced two novel transgenic mouse models, Nestin-CreERT2 and Aldh1L1-CreERT2, to investigate melanocytic cells in vivo. It demonstrated that Nestin-expressing multipotent stem cells in adult skin could generate mature melanocytes directly or through a melanocyte stem cell intermediate stage. The inducible Cre-loxP system was used to target and monitor these cells, revealing that both Nestin and Aldh1L1 promoters could be used for fate-mapping experiments in melanocyte lineages. The study found increased expression of Nestin and Aldh1L1 in less differentiated melanocytic cells and showed that recombined stem cells could give rise to both hair follicle and epidermal melanocytes. This research provided insights into the cellular mechanisms underlying skin cancer and offered a foundation for developing preventive and treatment strategies for melanoma.