The Chemokine SDF-1/CXCL12 Regulates the Migration of Melanocyte Progenitors in Mouse Hair Follicles

April 2009 in “ Differentiation ”

Abdelhak Belmadani, Hosung Jung, Dongjun Ren, Richard J. Miller

TLDR SDF-1/CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 are crucial for melanocyte movement in mouse hair follicles.

The study demonstrated that the chemokine SDF-1/CXCL12 and its receptor CXCR4 played a crucial role in regulating the migration and positioning of melanoblasts during hair follicle (HF) formation and cycling in mice. CXCR4 expression was upregulated during the anagen phase, and CXCR4-expressing cells also expressed stem cell and neural crest markers. SDF-1 was widely expressed along the migration path of these cells, suggesting its role in their movement. CXCR4-deficient mice and those treated with the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100 showed abnormal melanoblast concentration in the epidermis, indicating a migration defect. In vitro, SDF-1 acted as a chemoattractant for CXCR4-expressing cells, and AMD3100 inhibited this response, highlighting the importance of SDF-1/CXCR4 signaling in melanoblast migration and positioning in HFs.

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