P63 Expression Pattern During Rat Epidermis Morphogenesis and the Role of P63 as a Marker for Epidermal Stem Cells

The study investigated p63 expression during rat epidermis development, finding it was expressed early in the surface ectoderm and continued in the mature epidermis, especially in the basal layer and around hair follicles. It showed that p63, along with keratin 14, was present in epidermal stem cells and could serve as a marker for keratinocyte progenitor cells. The findings suggested p63 played a crucial role in differentiating the surface ectoderm into epidermis and maintaining the epidermal stem cell population, though further research was needed to understand its precise functions.