URB Expression in Human Dermal Papilla Cells

In 2005, researchers investigated the expression of a gene transcript, identified as P1521, which was found to be overexpressed in human dermal papilla (DP) cells compared to dermal fibroblasts (DF). The study involved culturing DP and DF cells from biopsy specimens obtained from patients with androgenic alopecia. The overexpression of P1521 in DP cells was confirmed by Northern blot analysis, which revealed two transcripts. Sequencing of these transcripts indicated they were variants of a gene with homology to mouse URB. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining showed higher URB expression in DP cells than in DF cells. Additionally, the study found that URB mRNA expression in human DP cells increased four-fold in response to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), suggesting a potential role for URB in hair growth and androgen response. The function of URB in DP cells and its role in hair growth, however, required further investigation.