Conditional Knockout in Mice Reveals the Critical Roles of Ppp2ca in Epidermis Development

The study used conditional knockout mice to investigate the role of the Ppp2ca gene, which encodes the PP2Acα isoform, in epidermal development. The knockout mice exhibited significant hair loss, disrupted hair follicle morphogenesis, and abnormal hair regeneration cycles, along with developmental disorders such as smaller size and hyperproliferation at the base of the claws. The research demonstrated that PP2Acα was crucial for hair follicle and epidermis development, with a significant reduction in PP2Ac expression leading to altered hair differentiation and epidermal hyperproliferation. The study also found decreased phosphorylated AKT, suggesting an unexpected promotion of the AKT pathway involved in Wnt signaling, crucial for hair follicle development. These findings indicated that PP2Acα played significant roles in hair follicle and skin development, providing insights into genetic skin diseases and potential treatment targets.