Tsc2 Disruption in Mesenchymal Progenitors Regulates Hair Follicles and TGF Beta Signaling
TLDR Disrupting the Tsc2 gene in certain cells leads to thicker skin, larger hair, and changes in hair growth signaling, which can be partly reversed with specific treatment.
The study investigated the effects of Tsc2 disruption in mesenchymal progenitors on hair follicles and TGFβ signaling. Mice with mesenchymal-specific deletion of Tsc2 (Tsc2cKO) exhibited increased dermal thickness, hairshaft diameter, and earlier hair regrowth. RNA sequencing of primary neonatal dermal fibroblasts from these mice revealed down-regulation of genes involved in TGFβ response, which was normalized by rapamycin treatment. Tsc2KO cells showed reduced TGFβ1-stimulated collagen gel contraction and decreased TGFβ1-induced Smad activity. The findings suggested that hair follicle defects in Tsc2-disrupted mice might result from impaired TGFβ1 response, indicating a potential novel treatment approach for TSC by targeting TGFβ signaling.
