Tenascin-C Expressing Touch Dome Keratinocytes Exhibit Characteristics of All Epidermal Lineages

The study investigates Tenascin-C (TNC) expressing touch dome (TD) keratinocytes in mouse skin, highlighting their role as a self-renewing, autonomous epidermal compartment with the ability to differentiate into various epidermal lineages, including Merkel cells (MCs) following injury. Through lineage tracing and genomic analyses, it was found that TD keratinocytes share molecular features with both interfollicular epidermis (IFE) and hair follicle (HF) lineages, although they maintain themselves independently without HF contribution. The study emphasizes the potential of TD keratinocytes in skin homeostasis, response to injury, and regenerative medicine applications, suggesting their unique molecular identity allows adaptation to different epidermal roles.