TLDR The protein SLC1A3 is important for activating skin stem cells and is necessary for normal hair and skin growth in mice.
The study found that during mouse skin growth, hair growth is synchronized with the expansion of the sebaceous gland and interfollicular epidermis. This process involves the temporary upregulation of the glutamate transporter SLC1A3 in stem/progenitor cells within the skin's distinct stem cell niches. Fate mapping in mice showed that SLC1A3+ cells are transiently expressed in proliferating cells across all three niches. Deleting the slc1a3 gene delayed the entry of hair follicles into the growth phase (anagen), disrupted the coupling of sebaceous gland and interfollicular epidermis expansion with the hair cycle, and resulted in lower fur density in older mice. This suggests that SLC1A3 plays a crucial role in the activation of stem/progenitor cells. Additionally, altering the activity of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 had similar effects to deleting or inhibiting SLC1A3, indicating its involvement in stem/progenitor cell activation across different skin niches.
50 citations
,
September 2014 in “Stem cell reports” BLIMP1 is essential for skin maintenance but not for defining sebaceous gland progenitors.
135 citations
,
December 2013 in “Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology” Stem cells in the hair follicle are regulated by their surrounding environment, which is important for hair growth.
394 citations
,
October 2013 in “Nature” 176 citations
,
January 2013 in “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” BMP and Wnt signaling balance controls hair follicle stem cell activity and hair growth.
293 citations
,
November 2011 in “Nature” The circadian clock affects skin stem cell behavior, impacting aging and cancer risk.
191 citations
,
September 2011 in “Cell stem cell” Hair follicle stem cells use specific chromatin changes to control their growth and differentiation.
91 citations
,
June 2011 in “The EMBO Journal” 
354 citations
,
February 2011 in “Genes & Development” EZH1 and EZH2 are crucial for healthy hair growth and skin repair.
503 citations
,
May 2009 in “Cell stem cell” Lrig1 marks a unique group of stem cells in mouse skin that can become different skin cell types.
84 citations
,
January 2008 in “Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology” 415 citations
,
January 2008 in “Cell” 
1113 citations
,
August 1999 in “The New England Journal of Medicine” Hair follicle biology advancements may lead to better hair growth disorder treatments.
25 citations
,
April 2021 in “The EMBO Journal” Hair follicle stem cells help maintain skin health and could improve skin replacement therapies.
15 citations
,
November 2020 in “Development” Stem cells in the eye have different roles and behaviors, helping maintain and repair the eye's surface.
Different stem cells are key for hair growth and health, and understanding their regulation could help treat hair loss.
38 citations
,
July 2020 in “EMBO journal” SIRT7 protein is crucial for starting hair growth in mice.
2 citations
,
May 2023 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” Sebaceous glands can heal and regenerate after injury using their own stem cells and help from hair follicle cells.
