부산대학교 도서관

The dermal papilla (DP) is a key mesenchymal compartment of hair follicles that orchestrates mesenchymal-epithelial interaction regulating hair growth cycles. In the present study, we demonstrate that a TALE-family transcription factor, Meis1, is selectively localized in the nucleus of the DP in the anagen phase of the hair cycle. By using an ex vivo organ culture of vibrissae follicles, conditional Meis1 loss causes retardation in hair growth, accompanied by defects in cell proliferation of hair matrix cells. This cell proliferation defect is partly rescued by the addition of culture supernatants derived from Meis1-sufficient but not -deficient DP cells. These findings indicate that nuclear Meis1 in DP activate genes involved in secretion of some unknown factors, which promote proliferation of hair matrix cells in the anagen phase of the hair cycle. • Meis1 localizes to nucleus in dermal papilla at hair growth phase of hair cycles. • Nuclear localization of Meis1 in dermal papilla is common event in different type of hair follicles. • Meis1 loss retards hair shaft outgrowth and hair matrix cell proliferation. • Secretory factors derived from dermal papilla partly rescue the defect in hair matrix cell proliferation caused by Meis1 loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]