SCD1 Sustains Homeostasis of Bulge Niche via Maintaining Hemidesmosomes in Basal Keratinocytes
December 2022
in “
Advanced science
”
TLDR SCD1 is important for hair growth by keeping the connection in skin cells where hair stem cells live stable.
The study reveals that Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase-1 (SCD1) is essential for maintaining the homeostasis of the hair follicle bulge niche by stabilizing hemidesmosomes in basal keratinocytes. SCD1 deficiency in mice leads to alopecia and impaired bulge formation due to disrupted hemidesmosome formation, which enhances keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation via the PI3K signaling pathway. This disruption prevents the formation of the bulge niche, crucial for reserving quiescent hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs). Dietary supplementation with oleic acid, a product of SCD1, restores bulge homeostasis and normalizes hair growth in Scd1−/− mice, suggesting that targeting fatty acid metabolism could be a therapeutic strategy for alopecia and skin aging.
