Thy1 Marks a Distinct Population of Slow-Cycling Stem Cells in the Mouse Epidermis
August 2022
in “
Nature communications
”
Thy1 stem cells keratinocytes epidermis basal layer interfollicular epidermis transcriptional profile cell cycle in vitro expansion epidermal maintenance wound repair lineage tracing epidermal replenishment wound healing epidermal homeostasis skin stem cells skin cells skin layer skin maintenance skin repair skin healing
TLDR A specific group of slow-growing stem cells marked by Thy1 is crucial for skin maintenance and healing in mice.
This document reports the identification of a distinct population of stem cells in the mouse epidermis, marked by the presence of Thy1, a cell surface protein. These Thy1+ keratinocytes are found in the basal layer of the interfollicular epidermis and are characterized by a unique transcriptional profile, slow cell cycle, and significant expansion potential in vitro. Unlike other interfollicular progenitors, Thy1+ cells contribute long-term to epidermal maintenance and wound repair, as shown by multicolor lineage tracing analyses and mathematical modeling. The study also demonstrates that the removal of Thy1+ cells severely impairs epidermal replenishment and wound healing, highlighting their essential, non-redundant role in epidermal homeostasis and repair.
