Modulation of Murine Hair Follicle Function by Alterations in Ornithine Decarboxylase Activity

May 1996 in “ Journal of Investigative Dermatology ”

Alejandro Peralta Soler, G Gilliard, Louis C. Megosh, Thomas G. O’Brien

The study investigated the role of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) in hair follicle function using transgenic mice that overexpressed a mutated ODC transgene in hair follicle keratinocytes. These mice experienced normal initial hair growth but lost their hair completely 2-3 weeks after birth, coinciding with the onset of ODC overexpression and the development of follicular cysts. The study found that the ODC inhibitor 2-difluoromethylornithine could prevent hair loss and partially restore normal skin histology if administered early, and it could also reactivate hair growth in mice with complete hair loss. The results suggested that ODC played a crucial regulatory role in mouse hair follicles.

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research Ornithine Decarboxylase Expression in Cutaneous Papillomas in SENCAR Mice Is Associated with Altered Expression of Keratins 1 and 10

33 citations, March 1994 in “PubMed”

The study investigated the expression patterns of ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and keratins in early papillomas in SENCAR mice to identify markers for early skin tumorigenesis. Tumors were induced using 7,12-dimethylbenzanthracene and promoted with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate. In early papillomas, keratin K1 showed patchy staining, while K10 was minimally expressed, contrasting with their normal expression in mildly hyperplastic epidermis. ODC expression was intense and diffuse in suprabasal cells of papillomas, correlating with decreased K1 and K10 expression, indicating altered differentiation. These findings suggested that high ODC expression and reduced K1 and K10 could serve as markers for early tumorigenesis in mouse skin.

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45 citations, April 2001 in “The journal of investigative dermatology/Journal of investigative dermatology”

Different Myc family proteins are located in various parts of the hair follicle and may affect stem cell behavior.